South African women must be encouraged to enjoy the safety and convenience of travelling by taxi

Although there’s a long-established culture of taxi utilisation in most developed countries, the concept of “catching” a cab only really started catching on in South Africa in the last decade.

With an already over-stressed and inadequate public transport system – not to mention overly-congested roads and rising petrol costs – cabs are set be become even more popular amongst South Africa’s urban commuters as an alternative to private cars.

However, while most urban dwellers wouldn’t think twice about hailing a cab to pick them up after a big night out on the town or to ferry them to the airport or between business meetings, many women still have reservations about catching a cab on their own. /p>

“Unfortunately, the safety concerns many women both here and abroad have about travelling alone in a cab are not entirely unfounded,” says 1st for Women Insurance Brokers’ managing director, Robyn Farrell.

In London alone, about 10 women are attacked each month after getting into an unlicensed mini-cab. The safety of women travelling even in London’s famous licensed black cabs – which have a worldwide reputation of reliability and professional trustworthiness – was also questioned earlier this year when notorious taxi rapist, John Worboys, was convicted of drugging, raping and assaulting hundreds of women passengers.

“It’s no wonder that women don’t feel entirely comfortable about hopping into a cab alone with a male driver. Although the vast majority of cab drivers are harmless and reliable, there has been a global rise in serious sexual assaults against women riding in cabs alone. You just never know if you’re going to end up with someone dubious.

“International studies show that women prefer using cabs that are driven by females because they don’t feel like they are at the mercy of a male cab driver. Also, in cultures where women and men who are not related are not supposed to be alone together, having a female driver can increase a woman’s mobility,” adds Farrell.

Fortunately, the need for a safe, reliable cab service that allows women to feel comfortable and secure has been recognised, and South Africa boasts a dedicated women-for-women cab service, Cabs for Women.

Cabs for Women, launched in 2008, is a metered cab service owned by women – and driven only by women. All its cab drivers have professional driving permits; and Cabs for Women vehicles are fitted with GPS tracking and route planning devices so passengers know where they are and where they are going. What’s more, Cabs for Women’s 24-hour call centre has full visibility of the cabs at all times and every cab is equipped with a metre so that pricing is transparent and consistent.

According to Cabs for Women’s managing director, Marion Woolf: “Cabs for Women was conceptualised when I identified a gap in the market for an affordable, yet safe and reliable, meter taxi service for women. It’s not just another taxi service – it’s the best.”

1st for Women is a proud supporter of Cabs for Women and from August 2009, 1st for Women policyholders will receive a 5% discount on their cab fare when travelling with Cabs for Women. Policyholders must contact 0861 743 222 (0861 HER CAB) when booking a cab and quote their policy number as a reference.

“We are thrilled that Cabs for Women has thought about women and their safety concerns when it comes to using public transport. In a country where crime against women is unacceptably high, this is a welcome initiative and we hope that it will encourage more South African women to enjoy the safety, ease and convenience of travelling by cab,” concludes Farrell.