Easy Taxi Nigeria engages taxi drivers on women’s safety

Easy Taxi Nigeria Limited on Friday expressed concern over the recent increase in the kidnap and assault cases involving women while commuting.

Easy Taxi Nigeria Limited said its concern was because statistics on gender-related crimes reveal that 35 per centthese crimes are linked or related to taxi operators.

In India, eight out of every 10 women who uses taxi as a means of commuting have been sexually assaulted.

The gravity of this problem has attracted big coverage.

Easy Taxi Nigeria Limited said as a result of this, it has become imperative that taxi hailing apps and their holding companies clearly articulate their values propositions in terms of safety and security for the passenger, especially the women.

The Easy Taxi City Manager, Peter Olugazie, said the Easy Taxi app is the most downloaded app in the world.

Olugazie said it is available in over 32 countries and over 420 cities.

He said this has made Easy Taxi drivers understand that the experience a woman or man commuting will have while using taxis through easy taxi app, will affect his or her income.

As such, he said the drivers are more likely to adjust their behaviour for the betterment of the company, for the transport industry and the society at large.

He said: “Here in Nigeria, we have already seen drivers become significant influencers towards a positive shift in the transportation experience.

“Their actions are motivated both by a commitment to the social responsibility and the financial returns that comes with it.”

Adora Asala, the MD of easy Taxi Nigeria, said: “It remains my role and mission to raise the standard of professionalism of drivers, not just on our platform, but across the taxi industry, by creating a dialogue amongst drivers in particular about safety issues affecting commuting Nigerians.”

Asala said she sees this initiative as an avenue to do what Easy Taxi does best: raise the bar.

She also stated that Easy Taxi’s focus on women does not preclude that men, too, experience violence and crime while commuting, but it is because women are more vulnerable when it comes to safety.

In supporting the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women, which is marked on November 25 every year, Easy Taxi will arrange a driver’s training on women’s safety and security.

The training curriculum will enlist the experiences and support of government agencies, development practitioners and other stakeholders with knowledge of the transportation sector and women safety and security issues.