Meet Kanta Chauhan who became a Rapido woman driver to help her family
Jalandhar-based Kanta Chauhan became a Captain for Rapido, as she had to step up to work and provide for the family after her husband met with an accident.
Kanta Chauhan’s life has not been an easy one. Born in the district of Ropar, Punjab, her father passed away when she was young, and it was left to her mother to take care of her and her three siblings. After completing her higher secondary education from a government school, she couldn’t continue further as there was no money in the family.
Even after her marriage, Kanta’s struggles did not abate.
“My husband met with an accident. He was the only bread-earner of the family, and we had to take some loans and also use our savings to tide over the situation. Seeing my daughter and husband in despair, I decided to stand up for my family and work as a Captain for ,” she says.
Mixed response
Based in Jalandhar, Kanta is Rapido’s first woman Captain in the four states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Chandigarh. She had enough grit and determination to face life and its challenges head-on.
Being a Captain or a bike driver is a mixed bag of responses, says Kanta. “I have met a lot of wonderful people who have appreciated my work, and also many people who cancelled the ride, just because they are not comfortable riding with a woman.”
However, Kanta says she is happy that the ratio of positive people has always been on a more substantial side than those who look down upon her because of her choice of ‘job’.
However, most customers are initially surprised by seeing a woman Captain. Kanta says,
“I usually call the rider once I get a booking. So, most of my riders think that I am calling from customer care and will be sending the driver to them soon. But when I reach there, they are surprised to see me as to why a woman is working as a captain? The riders ask me why I am riding a bike taxi and what made me choose to do this. There are a lot of questions that come my way.”
A feeling of pride
Kanta believes it’s been an exciting ride all the way, even if there have been a few bad experiences. She says many cancel the rides when they come to know the driver is a woman.
“This makes me feel sad. Being in the 21st century, why can't we see a man and a woman equally? I have also met some fantastic people full of positivity, which makes me forget all the negativity around my life at the moment. People do appreciate me a lot for standing up for my family and being an example to other women. I too, feel proud to stand among other Rapido riders as the only woman Captain.”
Kanta has not received any kind of support from her family, her siblings, or in-laws. She says it’s Rapido that has helped her stand on her own feet and take care of her family during difficult times. The team members, she adds, are always happy to help with whatever problems she has.
Kanta believes women are capable of doing any job if they put their minds to it.
“If you want to be a woman Captain, join Rapido. It’s not only a job that provides you with an income but also gives you the convenience of working according to your time. With Rapido, you can look after your family and children’s education. Rapido has given me an aim in life to provide each and everything that my daughter desires,” she says.
Her only aim in life now is to provide the best education to her daughter and build a home for her family. And for that, she is willing to work hard.
(Edited by Suman Singh)