New Delhi, July 18 (FN Agency) The Delhi government on Monday launched a scheme to provide financial support to women willing to take driver training to become professional taxi drivers in future. As per the scheme, 50 per cent of the training cost, which comes to around Rs 4,800, would be borne by the Transport department. The prospective women drivers will have to bear the remaining cost of training, which could be sponsored by fleet owners and aggregators, where these women will seek employment.
The government said it will work with fleet owners and aggregators to set up an optimal mechanism, so that women trained through the initiative receive guaranteed jobs in these companies after completion of training. The Transport Department will soon issue an advertisement/public notice seeking Expression of Interest (EoI) from fleet owners/aggregators for the scheme and gauge the number of women who can be trained under such an initiative, officials said. They also informed that the prospective women drivers would be trained at in-house driving training centres set up by the city government at Burari, Loni and Sarai Kale Khan. “The scheme is aimed at providing employment opportunities for women in the public transportation sector.
Various women through different forums have come out and spoke about their interest and zeal to work as taxi drivers to earn their livelihood. “In addition, Delhi has made swift progress with respect to the adoption of electric vehicles under its compressive Electric Vehicle Policy 2020,” a statement issued from the Delhi government said. “Delhi Government is also in the process of adopting the Delhi Motor Vehicle Aggregator Scheme, which mandates phase-wise adoption and increases in the share of electric vehicles within the fleet of cab aggregators. “The increase in the share of electric vehicles in taxi fleets will enhance opportunities for women to be employed as drivers as due to fewer mechanical parts and automatic steering wheel, electric vehicles are much easier to drive and less strenuous in operation,” it added.