That Delhi is all set to get courteous women cab drivers, conversant in English, ahead of the Commonwealth Games, is well known. It now transpires that it was Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s brainchild.
During a visit to Melbourne for the 2006 Commonwealth Games, Dikshit hopped into a cab and was enthused to see an elderly woman behind the wheel. She was doubly impressed that the driver, probably in her late 50s, took pride in her work and talked highly of the Australian metropolis. That taxi ride proved memorable.
Quick to translate idea into action, she spoke to the Azad Foundation which trains young women from underprivileged communities. Already 16 drivers have been trained and that should double in a few months. The service will be co-owned and managed by the women stakeholders.
