Pink auto rickshaws make a statement in Pune

Autowale.in, an app based and online auto rickshaw service provider in Pune city have a special offer for women this week. Apart from colouring the autos with pink colour on Women's Day, the service providers have planned to provide 1000 free rides to women throughout the week.

All one has to do is order an auto through the cab and choose the 'free ride' option.

Janardhan Prasad, founder of Autowale.in, talking to iamin said that out of the 1 lac customers that they have served in the last four years, 60 % were women. He added, “We have a lot of women passengers and to make them feel special we have coloured the autos in bright pink with cartoon designs over them. We have also added security features to make the auto service safer for women"

While one has seen a rise in the number of auto rickshaws driven by women in response to safer commuting options, Autowale.in has made no such push.

"It is common sense to see why an open auto rickshaw fares much above a closed cab for a safer ride. Our re-branding is representation of our belief that women should claim roads as much as men do," said Amol Ghemud, operations manager.

Drivers also undergo training where they are taught how to treat and respect customers, especially women and elder citizens. "All the rides are tracked and any commuter in distress is just a call away from us. All our drivers have undergone police verification and we have a strict hiring policy,” Ghemud added.

The company has started an initiative to spread awareness on women safety across corporate houses and residential complexes. "It is time that commuters hit the streets with a new found trust in auto rickshaws," said Ghemud.

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