PMPML to launch Pink e-cabs exclusively for women passengers

PUNE Soon, women commuters in the city can travel in ‘pink coloured’ electric cabs, as the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) is all set to launch its pilot project of electric cars

PUNE Soon, women commuters in the city can travel in ‘pink coloured’ electric cabs, as the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) is all set to launch its pilot project of electric cars.

The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) is all set to launch its pilot project of pink electric cars for women. (REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE)

Under this project, the PMPML will have separate pink electric cars for women commuters. The transport body is also looking to hire women drivers for these e-cabs. Currently, the tender process for this pilot project is underway and the service will operational in the city in a month, said officials.

“Our pilot project of electric cabs is underway and will soon be operational. We will initially ply 100 e-cabs in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad area.The tender process for this pilot project is underway and we will have cabs exclusively for women passengers. These cabs will be pink in colour so as to identify when a woman passenger is travelling. We are also looking for women drivers,” said Dattatray Zende, PMPML traffic manager.

PMPML plans to keep the fares of these e-cabs cheaper than the other prominent e-cab services like Ola and Uber. It is the first of its kind attempt done by any public transport body to start its own e-cab service for public. “Initially we are going to start the service from Pune airport, railway station, ST stands, IT parks and outskirts of the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad cities.” added Zende.

This e-cab service will be operations from various PMPML bus stands around the city like - Shivajinagar, Deccan, Swargate, Pulgate, Pune railway station and markets in peth areas. There will be a daily limit of travelling for each e-cab up to 150 kms and approximately the fare would be ₹10 per km.

Women passengers have welcomed this move, Charu Shinde a regular commuter said, “I often travel to my company by private cabs and many times the driver is rude while talking to women passengers, now if the PMPML operates exclusive pink cabs for women, it will be safer for us.”