SHAFAQNA- Indonesia has recently launched a new motorcycle-taxi service that caters to Muslim women who have reservations regarding riding with men they are not married to, an act forbidden in Islam. The new taxi will also help women who are afraid of being sexually harassed, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.
Evilita Adriani told AA that she was employed to deliver food, and occasionally give a ride to women passengers afraid of utilizing the services of males in Surabaya, the port city of East Java, when she came up with the idea.
“It is convenient because you needn’t be troubled by the need to hold the waist or shoulders [of the driver], and you’re more secure because you are protected from sexual harassment”, the 19-year-old said Saturday.
She said she invited another courier, Reza Zamir, to set up an Islamic taxi to deal with the problem.
A report last year in the Jakarta Post said that many women had given up reporting sexual harassment on buses, knowing that such cases rarely make it to court.
Adriani said that the new company requires all its drivers to wear hijabs and loose clothing, and to own a motorcycle and an Android-based phone to respond to bookings made online.
She said that the Islamic Taxi began operating in March, and although it was solely reserved for Muslim women, the service has garnered interest over time among non-Muslims as well, adding that it covers 12 cities in Java Island, and employs around 350 drivers, ranging from students to housewives.
AG/IINA
Motorbike taxis launched for Muslim women in Indonesia
