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Women only taxi firm for toddlers travelling solo

USP: Fashade Agboola hopes her taxi firm idea will take off
USP: Fashade Agboola hopes her taxi firm idea will take off

A mother who is launching a taxi service with only female drivers hopes this will give vulnerable passengers “more transport options” and make them feel safer.

Fashade Agboola, 35, believes Annisa Cars will offer an alternative for passengers who have not felt comfortable using traditional taxi companies.

Her firm, which is launching this month, is marketed towards collecting women and children, although men will be accepted. Its main focus will be on school or nursery pick-ups for children as young as two.

With this service, a meeting between the child, their parents and the driver or “guardian” will be arranged before the job, unless in the case of an emergency when a trusted driver will be used. Her workers will have a private hire vehicle licence regulated by Transport for London, be CRB checked and be health and safety trained. They will offer trips in the Croydon, Sutton, Brixton and Streatham areas and airport drop-offs. The firm can be booked online, by phone or via the Annisa Cars app which works in a similar way to other mainstream taxi smartphone apps.

Ms Agboola, inset below, is currently recruiting her workforce — with jobs outsourced to vetted female drivers working in the Croydon area.

Ms Agboola, who lives in Waddon and also runs a charity that helps women with health issues, said she was inspired by her struggles with conventional taxi firms. “Many of my friends and family feel uncomfortable travelling with a male driver,” she said. “Also, many firms do not take children under 16 unaccompanied. I’ve had many times when I’ve needed a cab to get my son to school but no firm would take my son as he was under 16, so this is something I have focused on.

“It is about giving people more transport options. We are not discriminating against men, it is just another option.”