Mayor Claudia López led an event to recognize female taxi drivers for their contribution to the taxi union and their commitment to the protection of women rights.
Most cab agencies in the city are managed by women and according to the latest Mobility Survey 2019, there are around 3,500 female taxi drivers.
In this respect, Mayor López stated:
“We thank our female taxi drivers for their hard work. They are transforming the taxi union with their responsibility and respect for the traffic laws. The statistics show that female drivers have six times fewer car accidents in comparison to male drivers. Therefore, the city highly appreciates their input to strengthening the safety on the roads’’
Furthermore, 60% of the total trips are made by female passengers. This constitutes a challenge for local authorities aiming to reduce gender violence in the transportation system.
Mobility with gender perspective
Bogotá`s Development Plan contemplates a mobility policy with a gender approach that protects women in the public space by implementing multiple actions.
In this context, the "Taxi Drivers for Gender Equity" strategy developed together with UN Women, aspires to train 500 male and female drivers from the Taxis Libres company in the prevention of violence and sexual harassment.
Moreover, the Smart City app is developing the “Heroes Smart Pass by Sodexo” program in which taxi drivers assist women, victims of violence, by transporting them free of cost to Police Stations or to the Attorney’s General Office to file complaints.
Also, with this app, the women sheltered at the ‘Casas Refugio’ can travel through the city to fulfil procedures related to their judicial processes or to access care services. It also covers the transportation fare of relatives accompanying the women and the cost of care and hygiene products for the victims. Besides, the Mayor's Office is working on the integration of this strategy to support the gender and early warning system, and the Gender Justice Strategy.
Taxi unions advocate for gender equality
Also, representatives from various taxi unions celebrated the actions that are being carried out by the Mayor´s Office to improve the living conditions of women as a way to reduce gender inequalities.
Regarding this, Bogotá´s Secretary for Women, Diana Rodríguez indicated:
‘‘The administration continues working to increase the participation of women in all social, productive and political spheres. We need to reduce the acceptance of the macho culture and all forms of gender violence’’
