In the wake of the rape case allegedly by a cab driver of Uber, Delhi government has revised the shift timings of the 181 Helpline staff which comprises of 16 women and four IT staffers.
The timings have also been changed with the Sakha Cabs withdrawing their service to the helpline staff following non-payment on December 1.
The new shift timings are 10 PM -8 AM, 8AM -3PM and 3PM to 10 AM.
Khadijah Faruqui, a lawyer and activist, who is a consultant for the 181 helpline said that under the reworked shift timings, staffers don't have to travel during the night hours.
"Between 10 PM and 8 AM helpline staffers will not have to travel during the night hours under the new shift timings. Timings have been changed primarily keeping in view the safety of women and also because of the onset of winter which often leads to foggy conditions in the night," said Faruqui.
The Women and Child Department of Delhi government will soon float a tender for a new agency to provide cab service.
"We will definitely like to go for a company which provides women chauffeurs," said a department official.
Sakha Consulting Wings Pvt Ltd which was the first firm to provide cab service with female chauffeurs in the capital ferried the helpline staffers to their homes during the night hours till November 30.
"We discontinued followed non-payment of our bills of the last six months," said Rekha Rani of Sakha Cabs.
They finally have received Rs 2,58,341 from WCD department which were dues for July and August. The bills for September have also been cleared.
Now, helpline staffers are being ferried in private taxis.
