look news india
Lucknow, September 18: Preparations are being made to make the journey of sisters and daughters more safe and comfortable through ‘Sarthi Didi’. On the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a system of 24×7 monitoring of security during travel with special service of women drivers for women passengers is being developed. In case of emergency, there will be a facility to seek help through SOS button and if needed, immediate coordination with the police can be done. This means that the journey will not be limited only from boarding the vehicle to reaching the destination, but the entire journey will proceed with strong security. Yogi government is preparing to take this service from cities to villages through Bharat Taxi model. For this, there is a plan to expand ride-hailing and delivery services at the rural level by connecting Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS).
An important aspect of ‘Sarthi Didi’ is to connect women drivers with transportation services. Under this, women will be given special training in driving e-rickshaws, two-wheelers and cabs. On one hand, this will give women passengers the option of a woman driver, while on the other hand, it will also open the way for developing driving as a new field of employment for women.
Security monitoring at every moment
For the safety of women passengers, emergency SOS button, 24×7 monitoring control room and police assistance coordination will be made part of the system. There will be a provision to activate the support system in case any emergency arises during the journey. Bharat Taxi’s existing women-centric ‘Sarthi Didi’ scheme will carry safety features like SOS, live location tracking and 24×7 assistance. The direct benefit of this arrangement will be especially to those families whose daughters regularly travel alone for studies, job or other work. Arrangements are being made to reduce safety concerns during travel by having the option of a woman driver and having a support system available in case of emergency.
Driving employment for women
‘Sarthi Didi’ is not being seen only for the convenience of women passengers. The other side of this is to prepare women as drivers. Women are being linked to economic activity in the transport sector on a large scale by training them to drive e-rickshaws, two-wheelers and cabs. In this model, the woman will not only be a passenger, but will also be able to become a service providing driver. That is, on the one hand, the option of safe travel and on the other hand, the opportunity of income for women, both aspects come together.
Cabs will reach from city to village through cooperative network
Yogi government is preparing to take the Bharat Taxi model to villages instead of limiting it to cities. For this, ride-hailing and delivery services will be expanded at the rural level by connecting primary agricultural credit societies. This will increase the availability of transportation in rural areas at the local level. The cooperative network will be used to provide vehicle service through digital medium for commuting from village to market, hospital, bus stand, railway station or nearest city.
Expansion of cooperation from packs to mobility
Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) have so far been used mainly for rural credit and agriculture related activities. By connecting them with ride-hailing and delivery services, this network of cooperatives can expand to rural mobility and digital services. This would mean that the cooperative structure existing in the village would not be limited to agricultural needs only, but would also form the basis for services like local transportation and delivery.
Effort to link women safety, digital transportation and rural connectivity together
Through ‘Sarthi Didi’, both the woman passenger and the woman driver have been kept at the centre. The facility of female driver, SOS and monitoring system for female passengers will strengthen the security, while the training will pave the way for employment and self-reliance for women. Thus, the scope of the proposed model is not limited to increasing cab services only. In this, an attempt is made to link women safety, women employment, digital transport and rural connectivity together. With the expansion of Bharat Taxi model from cities to villages, this network is set to be developed as a new option for urban to rural transportation.