City will party hard, but safe

If most mothers have their way, teenage daughters partying on this New Year's Eve will have a woman dropping them home. The demand for women chauffeurs in Mumbai has shot up before the big night.

If most mothers have their way, teenage daughters partying on this New Year's Eve will have a woman dropping them home. The demand for women chauffeurs in Mumbai has shot up before the big night.

HT Image

"I have been getting loads of calls from mothers worried about teenage daughters getting home safely," said Revathi Roy, mentor and chief driving officer of Viira Cabs, a newly launched women chauffer service.

Like worried mothers, most other partygoers are also playing it safe. Nearly half of the chauffeurs working for Party Hard Drivers, a unisex chauffer service, are booked for December 31. "There is a 10% rise in demand compared to last year,” said Ankur Vaid, a co-owner of the company.

The suburban trains will ply through the night on December 31 and the regular black-and-yellow taxis will also be at hand. "We have distributed handbills urging taxi drivers to remain present outside pubs and big hotels," said Prem Singh, president, Mumbai Taxi Association.

The traffic police have stepped in as well. “We have asked taximen to park outside popular party places to discourage drunk driving," Nandkumar Chougule, DCP (traffic), said.