SHIMLA, April 9:— Mayor Surender Chauhan on Tuesday inaugurated an all-women ‘pink taxi’ service in Shimla, a project aimed at providing safer travel options for women within city limits.
Operated by the social organisation Connecting Lives, the service is designed exclusively for women passengers and will be driven by women drivers. The taxis will run during the day and remain available for emergencies at night.
“This is a new initiative. Connecting Lives has taken an important step in helping women, especially those who live alone, to travel safely,” Chauhan said at the inauguration. The mayor also announced that 50% of his one-month honorarium would be donated to the organisation and assured that pink taxis would receive free parking facilities within the municipal limits.
Bimla Thakur, president of Connecting Lives, said the service had initially launched as a night-only operation on February 20 but faced low demand. “Only one or two women reached out for the service at night. So, for now, it will operate during the day,” she said.
The initiative marks a step forward in addressing women’s safety and mobility concerns in the city and aligns with broader efforts to promote women’s participation in the workforce through driving and transport services.
