'Angels' earn wings and hit the streets

By NATASHA HARRIS

Complete with pink lights and only women drivers, Auckland's newest taxi service starts today with the aim of providing a safe environment for women passengers.

After a year spent convincing the Human Rights Commission their service did not discriminate against men, and completing the "huge" amount of paper work for drivers to be qualified, Angel Taxis is determined to be the best service in Auckland.

Angel Taxis is an incorporated society to which both drivers and customers must apply for membership.

It has only female drivers and already has hundreds of members, says general manager Raewyn Cranch-Shaw.

"Everybody wants this service to happen as there's a need for women to feel safe in a cab," she said. "I know there are men drivers that are good but we don't know who they are."

The idea of taxis driven by women came to Ms Cranch-Shaw and fellow managers Lyn Galvin and Diane Byerley, after a woman Ms Cranch-Shaw knew was sexually assaulted by a male taxi driver a few years ago.

But getting cabs out on the streets took much longer than they expected because it was hard to get women drivers who were qualified and because they were not allowed to advertise directly for women drivers.

Ms Cranch-Shaw said their main customers were young women heading out to town and older women who lived on their own and who wanted to feel secure that they would get home safely.

Every cab has EFTPOS and men will be allowed to use the cabs too.

Ms Cranch-Shaw scoffed at jibes from other taxi companies who have said there are too many taxis in Auckland .

"There is room if you're providing the best service possible and we think we should get to the top of the list.

"We're only small fry but we're hoping to grow quickly as we're hoping women drivers from other companies will come to us."