Campaign to recruit more female taxi drivers in Derby puts women's safety under spotlight

A campaign to recruit more female taxi drivers across the East Midlands is underway - with 20 women already signing up. The 'empowering' campaign set up by charitable foundation Think Pink, started across the globe in Sri Lanka and is now taking root right here in Derby.

The Rosie May Foundation’s Think Pink campaign has partnered with Western Cars Derby and DG Cars to increase the number of women taxi drivers in the Derby and Nottingham region. Currently, women make up less than 2% of taxi drivers in the UK. 

Mary Storrie co-founder of the Rosie May Foundation spoke to Derby World about the campaign. She said: “This project has been two years in the making. We partnered with Western Cars and DG Cars a year ago.”

She continued: “At that time, they had just one female driver among 1,400 drivers.” This figure appears to be the norm as Taxi Point, which reports on the UK taxi industry, said in a November 2022 article: ‘97% of taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers are male, this trend has been higher than 90% for all of the last 10 years.’

The Think Pink project is now becoming a driving force in female recruitment into the industry. They say some 20 new women taxi drivers have signed up through their scheme.

Rosie May Foundation was set up in January 2004 following the murder of Rosie May who was killed in December 2003 by a 17-year-old boy she knew. In response to public support and donations at the time, the foundation was set up with funds going to Sheffield Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Since then, the not-for-profit foundation has grown internationally. The family, seeking solace after their daughter’s death, took a break in Sri Lanka and this is where the seed of Think Pink was born.

"90% of women suffered sexual harassment on public transport"

It inspired a series of fund-raising projects in the country including a female driver project. Mary said: “We first began the driver project in Sri Lanka in 2016 following a UN report which found that 90% of women had suffered some form of sexual harassment while using public transport.

“We wanted to champion safer journeys and economically empower women. A fleet of 10 women-driven tuk tuks now operates in Sri Lanka.

“There are many parallels between the UK driver campaign and this project. As well as empowering and supporting women, we want to educate them to realise that driving is a career that can provide flexibility, especially if they have domestic responsibilities that restrict their conventional full-time working hours.”

Work-life balance

Previously DG’s only female driver, Kim Blagen has been driving for the firm for 15 years.  She will now support and mentor new drivers as well as continuing to drive herself.

She said: “I’m on hand to explain all aspects of the job. This includes how it can work around drivers’ home life and any other commitments they may have.”

One of DG Think Pink Derby drivers, Kat, said: “Being a Think Pink driver gives me a work-life balance, something I feel I never had.” Kat previously worked as a domiciliary carer working nights. 

However, she is keen to drive home the positive nature of the job, of which flexibility is key. She said: “This work meant that I was asleep most of the time during the day. 

“It was okay during term-time but puts you under pressure when it comes to doing things at weekends and school holidays. I wanted the freedom and flexibility of being able to do what I want.

”The benefits of working for Think Pink mean I can be my own boss. I don’t have to worry about getting people to cover for me if I’m off sick or flitting around for childcare, I enjoy that flexibility.”

With a reported general shortage of taxi drivers since the pandemic, Mary added that training new taxi drivers was fast becoming a success story that long-term, she hoped to roll out nationally. She said: “We have initially partnered with DG cars, based in my hometown, which has the largest fleet of drivers in the East Midlands, but the aim is to eventually expand the scheme.

“Taxi driving covers all sorts of journeys from school transport to hospital appointments. We help recruits who match the criteria to attain their taxi driving license through the DG Academy and Think Pink scheme.”

Those signing up will be self-employed, but the scheme provides backup to enable this move. Drivers will need a clean driving licence and DBS check, they can use their own car or, if full-time, they can use one of DG’s Cars.

For more information about Think Pink visit their website by clicking here.