News: Malaysia Unveils Special Taxis for Women Only to Warm Welcome

In Malaysia, women often become the victims of robberies, sexual harassment and other violent acts. According to a November 30 French media report, in order to better protect women from violence, last weekend the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur released 50 “women’s taxis” which will only transport women.

The top of the windshields of these taxis show a sign reading “women’s taxi”, and the drivers are also women. the project is a cooperation between several of Kuala Lumpur’s taxi companies and the project initiator, Malaysia’s Department of Women, Family and Community Development, who said that they hope to increase the number of “women’s taxi’s” to 400.

This has received a warm welcome from the local women. “This act is of course very good, we can feel safer getting into a taxi,” said 26-year-old office worker Na Xi Er (proper name). However, some female taxi drivers worry about the loss of male customers, and some people are concerned that because of what the “women’s only taxis” symbolize, the female drivers will become the target of attacks.

Before this, Malaysia has already released pink women-only train carriages, as well as buses that only carry women, in order to [help women] avoid suffering harm from sexual harassment. Besides Malaysia, Mexico, Egypt, Iran and other countries have already unveiled women-only taxis.