Jan 22, 2016 Indonesia’s capital Jakarta has recently seen a growing number of transportation services catering exclusively to women.
Ladyjek, one of the most recent entrants to the female-only taxi services, has seen business take off less than four months after starting operations.
Uki Pratiwi, a resident of Jarkata and a Ladyjek user, said the experience felt much safer than the city’s packed public buses and trains.
“In other forms of public transportation such as public minivans, there are too many men in such a tight space, which makes me feel very uncomfortable. However, I feel safe if it’s Ladyjek because the bikers are also women,”
The service also offers a safer form of employment for female drivers.
According to Brian Mikado, Ladyjek’s founder, since its launch in October, the Ladyjek mobile app has been downloaded about 50,000 times and hundreds of Indonesians use its services daily.
The company currently has a staff strength of about 2,400 drivers, a majority of which are housewives or students.
“Women need to feel safe and comfortable and public transport has to be convenient for them (to use). The other online motorbike taxi services are very convenient but there’s no service to take care of the safety and comfort of women. That’s why I created Ladyjek. I want all female bikers and users to feel comfortable and safe,”