From hesitation to habit: Why Mumbai’s women are choosing bike taxis, despite safety concerns

Mumbai: At 8.45am outside Andheri railway station, the monsoon-dampened air is thick with exhaust fumes, blaring horns and long queues of frustrated commuters. As autorickshaws refuse short-distance rides and buses crawl through traffic, 26-year-old finance professional Sneha Kulkarni bypasses the chaos with a few taps on her phone. Within minutes, she is riding pillion on a bike taxi towards MIDC, determined not to miss her morning meeting.

Sneha is far from alone. Across Mumbai and the wider metropolitan region, women and Gen Z commuters are increasingly embracing bike taxis, reshaping long-held perceptions about urban mobility. In a city where riding behind an unfamiliar male driver was once viewed with hesitation, convenience is rapidly overcoming social barriers. The reason is simple: bike taxis save both time and money.

With fares starting at around Rs 10 per km, compared with an average of Rs 18 for autorickshaws and even higher fares for app-based cabs, the financial appeal is equally strong,” said a media professional from Nariman Point. “In South Mumbai, I’ve used bike taxis several times to go from college to the station or meet friends,” said undergraduate student Shriya Narayan.