Kolkata: The Transport department has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the app-bike company Rapido for the introduction of ‘Pink Mobility Initiative’ to ensure a secure and comfortable experience for female passengers with the motorcycles being driven by women.
Kolkata will be the first city in India where Rapido will be rolling out this bike ‘for the women by the women’. A pilot project on the same is afoot in Tamil Nadu. Rapido will provide financial assistance worth Rs 12 crore over the next three years enabling women captains (drivers) to own and operate their vehicles. The ride-sharing platform aims to create 20,000 new women jobs in Bengal in the next three years.
As part of this collaboration, Rapido will invest Rs 150 crore towards key initiatives focused on electric mobility, women’s safety in transportation and road safety awareness.
“We are committed to improving public transport infrastructure while ensuring safety and accessibility for all citizens. Rapido’s investment in electric mobility and women-centric transport solutions is a step in the right direction. This collaboration will help strengthen the state’s efforts towards sustainable urban mobility and create new opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship,” said Saumitra Mohan, secretary, Transport Department at the sectoral session of the Bengal Global
Business Summit .
Pavan Guntupalli, co-founder of Rapido, said: “West Bengal has always been an important market for us. We are excited to contribute towards making mobility safer, greener, and more inclusive. Our investment in electric mobility and the Pink Mobility fleets reflect our commitment to sustainable and women-friendly transport solutions”.
The ride sharing platform has pledged Rs 5 crore towards road safety and awareness campaigns. This will include quarterly driver training programs in collaboration with government-accredited training centers, public awareness campaigns on traffic regulations, and helmet distribution drives. Rapido will also work closely with the Transport Department to support state-led road safety initiatives, reinforcing its commitment to creating a safer commuting environment.
Currently Rapido executes one lakh rides per day across Bengal with its fleet of two wheelers and four
wheelers operating in 20 urban areas of Bengal.