At a time when concerns about women’s safety in public transport continue to dominate urban discourse, FemiRides – a mobility platform by women for women founded by Behara Vijaya Radhika – is quietly reshaping the way women travel while creating opportunities for them to earn money.
The idea of FemiRides took shape in 2020, Ms. Radhika said, adding, “Women must not only feel safe, but should also be in control of their journeys. Driving is more than a skill, it is freedom, dignity and livelihood.”
The initiative started on a small scale with only one female driver. “Initially, not many women showed interest due to lack of female instructors. Finally, a 50-year-old woman applied and took the training. That single step became a turning point and today over 500 women have learned to drive, supported by a growing team of 50 trained female instructors,” said Ms. Radhika.
However, Ms. Radhika soon realized that the long-term plan required training more women, not just employing them. She registered a women’s management program under the ITDA project, which was initially approved but withdrawn after a change of government. Despite the financial slump, she persevered, registered a driving school, started with one vehicle and gradually expanded to five.
The early years from 2021 to 2024 were marked by resistance, limited resources, and repeated setbacks. Nevertheless, the platform attracted women from various backgrounds, including ASHA workers and Anganwadi teachers, who first joined as students and later became self-employed. “The feedback prompted me to replace the male instructor with a female instructor. The first such instructor was hired at ₹25,000 per month. The women soon started training others, creating a cycle of empowerment,” she said.
In 2023, FemiRides was formally incorporated and started operating by October. Training and riding two-wheelers quickly caught on, allowing women to commute and work independently. Today, the platform offers multiple services including ride booking, driving school, driver hire, tours and tours, and has trained more than 500 women. FemiRides operates a fleet of over 15 cars (including electric vehicles), 60 bicycles and 10 autorickshaws.
She said safety protocols include GPS monitoring, Aadhaar verification, basic training of vehicle mechanics and round-the-clock driving monitoring. The services extend beyond Visakhapatnam and can be used for longer journeys to places like Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Araku and Srikakulam. This initiative has partnered with Coromandel, Infosys for CSR driven training programmes.
With the tagline “Restart. Rebuild. Reset”, Ms Radhika said franchises are planned in Andhra Pradesh, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chhattisgarh and that two dedicated apps are in development.
(The author Gouthami Paltati is an intern at The Hindu)
Published – 30 Dec 2025 20:11 IST
