Pink taxis for women in Mexican city

Puebla: For the comfort of women who do not wish to ride taxis with men, Mexico's colonial city of Puebla, is now offering pink-coloured cabs with a female driver.

Pink Taxis are the latest novelty in the booming city, home to Volkswagen's Mexico plant.

Thirty-five women-only cabs have begun operating in Puebla, located 128 kms (80 miles) east of Mexico City in Puebla state, offering a safe and reliable service to women tired of disrespectful male drivers.

"For security reasons in view of so much violence. On many occasions, we get in and there are men who take advantage. A female driver gives us more confidence," said passenger, Hermelinda Aguilar.

The project also hopes to offer safe school transportation for boys - under the age of 12 - and girls, elderly women and female university students.

"I feel safe. It's a project I personally like and it's designed for us. We'll be able to go out at night and arrive home safely. Also for our children below the ages of 12, to get to nightclubs safely, to go out with our mothers without the danger something might happen to us," pink taxi driver, Alma Delia Olguin, told Reuters.

Users have to dial for a cab to avoid female drivers from being flagged down at every street corner.

All cab units are equipped with a beauty kit, a GPS system and a panic button connected to an emergency hotline.

Privately financed, Pink Taxi de Puebla, invested 5.8 million pesos (some $430,000) in the service, with licensing and training provided by the state government.

Puebla communications minister, Valentin Meneses, said the project hoped to make women feel comfortable while using public transport.

"To offer women a safe and comfortable service which allows the executive, working woman or housewife to collect her youngsters or use it to travel with her children in a safe way without becoming an object for sexual harassment or a flirtatious comment on behalf of a normal taxi driver," he said.

If successful, officials might expand the programme to other cities.

In the huge metropolis of Mexico City, Pink Taxis have not been implemented yet, but subway cars and women-only bus services at rush hour are available to women to help keep them safe from sexual harassment and the common threat of robberies.

Women-only cabs have also become popular in London.