Forsche dial-a-cab service that operates in Mumbai and Delhi, has a fleet of 30 automobiles exclusively manned by women to cater to the metro’s growing segment of women commuters. What began as a one taxi service on Mumbai, India has grown to 60 in three years covering the capital city of Delhi as well. In 2009, she launched the Forsche service in Delhi with 30 taxis. Female commuters can reach the cabs in Mumbai at 022-24324161/62, and in Delhi one has to dial 011-45628200.
Forsche cabs are accessorized with small feminine touches like make-up kits, bigger mirrors and nail polish removers. The cab service which was an effective tool of women’s empowerment on the streets, has received a huge blow with the denial of financial help from Indian banks. Revathi trains women taxi drivers in driving, etiquette, conversation skills and martial arts before assigning them to the fleet. The idea originated when in 2006 Revathi was put off by the irresponsible driving of local taxi drivers on a December night. Revathi’ taxi service was inspired by Dubai’s ‘Women Taxi’, Britain’s ‘Pink Ladies’ and Moscow’s ‘Pink Taxis’. The only men allowed inside a Forsche are boys under 12 years.
The banks have refused her loans on the premise that girls who aspire to become taxi drivers are not economically viable. With almost 500 girls waiting to be trained and appointed as cab drivers, growth is impossible for Forsche cabs without some kind of financial help which plans to reach to a business scale employing 100,000 women drivers in the next three years.
Revathi is a graduate of Mumbai’s St Xavier’s College with a Ph.d degree in Economics from Toronto. Revathi plans to meet Reserve Bank of India deputy governor Usha Thorat for funds and to talk about issues faced by women early stage start ups.
she is a fraud with many pending court cases