Interviewing Pink City Rickshaw Company
Pink Rickshaw Company is an innovative not-for-profit organisation founded by Jaipur local, Radhika Kumari. Her heartwarming aim is to provide employment to women from low-income households, improve their livelihoods and offer an authentic – and sustainable – travel experience for tourists. The women’s vessels are eye-catching cerise e-rickshaws with a gold canopy that can weave down alleys and up hills with ease.
The concept of the Pink City Rickshaw Company is great, how did you implement the idea?
The project started in December 2016 in Jaipur, a popular stop for those travelling around Rajasthan’s Golden Triangle. With the city’s moniker ‘Pink City’, our idea to create a pink rickshaw company seemed fitting. We started with just a couple of e-rickshaws – all driven by women – and we’ve since expanded to Udaipur.
In India, many of the women have basic education and qualifications, but struggle to find jobs. Even driving rickshaws is considered to be a male-dominated role, with only a small percentage of women holding driving licences. We turned a lot of heads in the beginning with these bright pink rickshaws that are driven by women! Our aim for this outreach programme is to hire 200 women, and more if possible.
We wanted to provide an eco-friendly mode of transport that creates opportunities for less fortunate women and an interesting experience for visitors. As Jaipur is the most polluted city in Rajasthan, these eco-friendly rickshaws are the perfect option for the environmentally conscious traveller. With electric motors, these rickshaws don’t create any emissions – relying solely on a charge at the end of the day.
How can women join Pink City Rickshaw Company?
We welcome applications from women, and help them obtain a driving license. To obtain this, the women must have passed the Indian equivalent to Secondary School in the UK. The women we hire are between 18 and 35 years old, and are looking to support their families.
Through the Pink City Rickshaw Company, we teach the women basic English and how to interact with customers. As the company is a Social Enterprise, each of our employees are enrolled as equity holders, which helps build their social capital and create a sustainable livelihood.
Tell us what we can expect on your tours…
We can take you on tours of the city’s sights, to meet the craftspeople or to shop in the lively markets and bazaars. Wake up with Jaipur is the most popular tour around the city’s sights, with the two-hour ride costing around Rs 2000 (approximately £22).
What you can expect on the Wake up with Jaipur tour….
Your driver will meet at your hotel between 7-8am with your itinerary. Heading straight to the Govind Dev Ji Temple in the City Palace, you’ll witness an aarti worship. Then, navigate the walkways of vivid market stalls stacked high with marigolds and fragrant rose petals at Jaipur’s flower market, Phool Mandi. Make a quick stop at a chaiwalla for a sweet spice-infused brew before continuing on to the iconic Hawa Mahal. Also known as the Palace of the Winds, the five-storied pastel pink palace is steeped in history. On the way back, jump out for a quick picture of the Albert Hall within the Ram Niwas Garden.
What you can expect on the Pink City Food Trail….
We hope your stomachs are rumbling on this tour of Jaipur’s foodie highlights. Learn about Indian street food, visit Choti Chopar market and of course, taste all the food. Start with a spicy kachori – a popular fried snack with dal – a yoghurt and fruit drink known as a lassi that perfectly compliments spicy food, a sweet treat of rabri, which is made from milk and a refreshing kulfi ice cream. Your journey isn’t complete until you’ve had the Rajasthani favourite: a cardamom chai tea from a chaiwalla.
What does Pink City Rickshaw Company look like in the future?
Given how well it has taken off in Jaipur and Udaipur, we see a bright future. We have plans to add another two cities in Rajasthan in the coming years…
You can book a trip with the Pink City Rickshaw Company online here.