Hawa Mahal. The iconic symbol of Jaipur, the pink city of India. More than a million tourists from all over the world visit the 18th century palace every year. I have visited the palace at least 10 times! And each time I have loved taking a picture with the beautiful palace. But it’s quite different for Renu. A middle-aged woman born in Jaipur, after spending half her life in the city, she had not seen the Hawa Mahal before she became a driver with the Pink City Rickshaws! However unbelievable it may sound, it is true!
But Renu is not alone. Women in India in general, and Rajasthan in particular, especially coming from economically backward households, hardly have the mobility outside of their homes. They are expected to cook food, raise their kids and serve others in the family. Their economic contribution to the society is neither valued nor encouraged. Though things have changed for the better in the last few decades, there still are thousands of Renus in our society.
Pink City Rickshaw Co. Jaipur
Pink City Rickshaw Co. (PCRC) Jaipur, a novel initiative of ACCESS aims to give the women like Renu a reason to feel proud of themselves. By providing dignified work and an opportunity to own and manage a company, the project is making the Renus of Jaipur modern, confident, respectable women, ready to contribute to the GDP of the country.
A model of community tourism
With a triple bottom line (social- economic- environmental) approach, ACCESS (in partnership with HSBC) initiated this innovative project in Jaipur in 2016. Styled as the Pink City Rickshaw Company, the project mobilized, trained and inculcated entrepreneurship among 200 aspiring women from low income households. Besides, the company is owned and managed by these women e-rickshaw drivers, with support from ACCESS.
Today the PCRC hostesses proudly drive their designer e-rickshaws carrying tourists to the must-experience places in Jaipur, including of course, the Hawa Mahal. And the tourists go back with happy memories of experiencing Jaipur the way no travel agency would provide. Moreover, the tourists feel satisfied that they made a difference in the life of someone while getting full worth of their money back. A five star rating on the TripAdvisor is testimony to their appreciation.
While on one hand the Pink City Rickshaws Jaipur provide the tourists a unique experience, on the other, it gives its women drivers an aspirational income they would never have dreamt of otherwise. PCRC is indeed a model of community tourism like no other, a perfect example of sustainable tourism.
With this initial success in Jaipur, ACCESS is now ready to take it to other tourist destinations of India. Soon tourists in Varanasi will see Holy City Rickshaws, and tourists in Udaipur will see Lake City Rickshaws. And it’s only a matter of time before it goes to other major destinations like Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Agra, Hampi, Old Goa.
I hope proliferation of Pink City Rickshaws will go a long way in promoting Responsible Travel (read) across India. Moreover, it might prompt the government to invest in such initiatives. Further reading suggestion: How Government can make a difference.
What makes Pink City Rickshaws Jaipur so special
The complete Jaipur experience
What do you value the most when you visit a place? Among other things, for me, it’s that local flavor with a bit of cultural experience. Jaipur is such a popular destination, that one might have already been there multiple times! But it has so much more to offer beyond its heritage monuments. Here is something that will elevate your experience to a new level next time you visit Jaipur: the lovely pink rickshaws driven by its ever smiling ladies.
The Pink City Rickshaws are ergonomically designed with a great sense of aesthetics. Plus, their curated circuits include everything that makes Jaipur such a wonderful place- heritage monuments, cultural experience, community life, traditional food and craft shopping.
Basically, the rides are curated in a way to give a sneak peak into what Jaipur is all about- a medieval city still in its elements. One can choose to see the rustic charm of the pink city in the morning- observe how a pundit prepares for the morning ritual in a Hindu temple, or taste the quintessential Indian ‘chai‘ (spicey tea) in a street-corner. There are quite a few other options to choose from.
On the menu…
The Pink City Rickshaws Jaipur offers six curated rides:
- Old city ride (experience the hustle and bustle of Jaipur’s old city)
- Pink City Heritage Tour (glimpses of some of Jaipur’s magnificent heritage monuments)
- Wake up with Jaipur (an early morning ride to experience an off-beat Jaipur, viz. visit a temple, a flower market, a tea stall, etc.
- Culture gully ride (Experience the myriad art and craft clusters in Jaipur, and observe the master artisans in action)
- Pink City food trail (taste the authentic Rajasthani food at safe and hygienic food stalls/ cafes)
- Shop and hop in a rick (shop at authentic craft shops chosen carefully)
Otherwise, if you have a particular thing/ route in mind, they are open to join the dots together for you as well!
By taking care of all aspects (heritage, culture, community, food, shopping, etc) of a trip to Jaipur, PCRC rides offer a complete Jaipur experience.
The Women behind Pink City Rickshaws Jaipur
The stories of its individual members are as compelling as the story of Pink City Rickshaws Jaipur itself. Inspiring and exciting that PCRC looks today, it was the opposite to start with. There were no takers in the slums of Jaipur, where it was intended to initiate. Quite expectedly, their families found the idea of the women of the house riding an e-rickshaw on the rough streets too much to digest. And to make things worse, there was no female driver to train the women!
After quite a lot of effort on the ground, a male e-rickshaw driver got ready to train his wife to become the first driving instructor. And the rest is history! One led to another and more. Here are two stories, I am particularly inspired by.
Nazma:
Among the many hostesses of Pink City Rickshaws Jaipur is Nazma, a woman in her 50s. From the confines of her burqa to the stylish driver’s livery, she has traversed quite a journey. She had joined the company as its first batch. She had dreams of educating her grand-daughter, and making her a doctor, and PCRC gave her just that.
In her own words: “I was confined, and so were my dreams. But now because of Pink City Rickshaws, I have big dreams. I’m in the driver’s seat of my life now. While it is true that my income has increased since I have started driving the e-rickshaws, but more importantly, it’s the feeling of freedom!”
Basanta:
Basanta’s story is no less inspiring. A middle aged woman without any sort of formal education, Basanta was struggling to make ends meet. She had to work as a domestic help in middle-class households for meagre wages.
Her life absolutely changed for the better when she joined Pink City Rickshaws Jaipur. Not only she started earning significantly more, but also her dignity was restored. Now along with her PCRC job, she is proud owner of a rickshaw of her own. However, she had to overcome all the ridicule and hooliganism she was subjected to from her fellow male drivers on the street.
In an emotional tone, she shares: “While shedding drops of tears in a lonely corner of a street, I often speak to myself: ‘let the goons do their job, I will continue to drive the rikshaws for my happiness and my family’s prosperity'”.
Making the society a better place
Today the company not only supports the livelihoods of its hostesses, but has also elevated their status in the society. The male drivers who chided and hooted at the women drivers in the beginning, look at them in envy now! Quite literally, they make heads turn!
The women who once served as domestic helps, today take decisions in the board room!
It is particularly satisfying to listen to their inspiring stories in first person, and the pride with which they wear their uniform. The empowered women speak at conferences, adorn headlines and are inspiration to millions of other women. In many ways it has broken the societal glass ceiling.
They have won many an accolade on various platforms. Scores of national and international media have covered their stories, both of the individuals and the company. Sample a few below:
In the words of Vipin Sharma, the CEO of ACCESS and to whom PCRC owes its origin to: “Pink City Rickshaw Company seeks to accomplish a triple bottom-line impact. It promotes women’s economic empowerment, and builds social capital by making the women own a company. At the same time, by deploying e-rickshaws, it promotes the cause of environment.”
I am fortunate to be a part of this novel initiative from the very beginning, and have seen its complete evolution. In fact, when I joined ACCESS in 2016, Pink City Rickshaws Jaipur was my first assignment, and thus, I have a lot of emotional connection with it. It was really sad to see PCRC suffer absolute business loss at the beginning of 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic, especially because its business largely revolved around tourism. However, this year with easing of travel bans in most of the countries, tourists are thronging the pink city, and better days are here again!
How you can contribute
Just take a ride!
- If you like unique/ offbeat travel experiences, Pink City Rickshaws Jaipur are just for you! So, next time you are in Jaipur, reach out to them.
- Community tourism is an important aspect of sustainable tourism. So, if you promote sustainable tourism, you would love to take this ride, and contribute to the local economy.
- And if you care about women empowerment/ women’s entrepreneurship, here is a great way to get associated.
Spread the word
This one is easy! Tell your friend who is visiting Jaipur to take a ride. Or, maybe put up Pink City Rickshaws Jaipur on your social media, and let the world know. Or, if you are a blogger, write about them in your posts.
Wanna donate?
Reach out to their Manager- Mr. Gopesh Joshi. Mobile phone: +91- 70148-93935
Wanna partner?
They are planning to expand to 10 new cities in India- Jodhpur, Jaisalmer,Udaipur, Agra, Varanasi, Mysore, Hampi, Mahabalipuram, Old Goa, Cochin. So, if you are interested in partnering, hurry up, contact them now!
Contact them:
- Facebook: pinkcityrickshawcompany
- Instagram: pinkcityrickshaw
Picture credit: Pink City Rickshaw Co. Jaipur | ACCESS | Pink City Rickshaws Women (Nazma, Basanta) | Gopesh Joshi.
SOUMEN CHATTERJEE
The Pink Rikshaw Company is really a great initiative by Access. Rightly said The Pink City Rickshaws are ergonomically designed with a great sense of aesthetics. Plus, their curated circuits include everything that makes Jaipur such a wonderful place- heritage monuments, cultural experience, community life, traditional food and craft shopping.
It not only gives a sence of empowerment both in terms of social and economic. While on one hand the Pink City Rickshaws provide the tourists a unique experience, on the other, it gives its women drivers an aspirational income they would never have dreamt of otherwise. PCRC is indeed a model of community tourism like no other, a perfect example of sustainable tourism.
The women comes from economically backward communities and to train them to set up a company to earn their own living and contribute towards their household income is really a proud moment. In fact women are not only economically empowered but also their soft skills have also been enhanced and they are confident enough to deal with customers and interact with them. I think they now have a decision making power at their homes also. Looking through the gender lence. So we can say it’s more of a gender transformative change.
The case stories of PCRC women are quite fascinating and encouraging and we should really share the stories around so that women from other parts of the country gets motivated and come forward.
Excellent vlog to read.
stampedmoments
Thanks a lot, Soumen.
Indeed, it’s a wonderful initiative; has great potential to become a model social enterprise.
Do take a ride when you are in Jaipur to experience it first hand.
Gopesh Joshi
A well known initiative presented in a perfect way.
Some time small step towards making women self sustaining bring great change in their life and PCRC is one of them.
It’s explained perfectly.
stampedmoments
Thanks a lot, Gopesh, especially for some of the pictures.
Now you are the man behind its success, kudos to you.
Keep it up!
Nancy Lessnick
Wow! Looks amazing!
stampedmoments
Thanks a lot, Nancy!
Suma
Every single step taken towards betterment matters. And trying to bring it to people’s attention is indeed applauding. A great initiative taken up and a good idea to use this platform to spread the word. Nicely presented.
stampedmoments
Very well said, Suma. Small steps towards big change.
Actually, slow and gradual changes are always the best changes.
Thank you so much!
Shrusti Mohanty
Ohh I love this! Definitely putting it on my list when I visit Jaipur next!
stampedmoments
Hey! Totally worth it; you will love the experience.
Thanks a lot for feedback.
Siddharth Lunkad
Often people says “1 teer se 3 nishane”
PINK CITY RICKSHAW COMPANY is one of that beautiful initiative by Access Development Services where with 1 project 3 things being targeted:-
1. Women Empowerment
2. Environment Friendly E Rickshaw
3. Social Enterprise
Pink City Rickshaw Company gives a massive opportunity to these ladies from urban slums and low-income households in Jaipur.
They can purchase shares in the company and eventually will own and run the business themselves.
It’s a social enterprise that will give them a living wage and a huge boost of confidence.
I am glad that I was a part of this initiative.
Go on ladies…👏👏
stampedmoments
Hey Siddharth!
Good to have a feedback from you, the original hero of Pink City Rickshaw Co.!
It was your efforts that established PCRC so well as a model.
So glad to have you in the team. Thanks a lot.
Vishal lalwani
Breaking the shackles and the changing mindset of the conservative society that women can only do household work is something which needs to be changed.
PCRC is one of the best example for showcasing how these women have break the stereotypes and become self sustainable.
stampedmoments
Vishal! You played such an important role in what PCRC today is.
You champion! Did a great job!
Yes, PCRC is doing well again, and hopefully, we will replicate in many more cities.
Thanks, Vishal.
Aruna Chandra
Hi Siddharth: I communicated with you more than two years back and wanted to meet with you to learn more about PCRC. Am coming to India in mid-February 2023 with a colleague from the UK to gather material for a case study of PCRC.
Is there any way we could meet with you?
If an in person visit is not possible, could we zoom?
Thanks much!
stampedmoments
Hello Aruna!
Good to hear from you.
Though Siddharth has moved from PCRC since then, you are most welcome always.
Please write to me @ suvendu@accessdev.org
Thanks for the feedback.