“I’ll pay to touch your feet’: Female private-hire drivers on night shift face harassment from male passengers. With five years experience as a private-hire driver, Ms Herni Hutabarat Karel Julianus was sure she had seen it all, until a male passenger asked her if he could look at her feet because he had a “fetish”.”
“When the 38-year-old driver on platforms such as Grab and TADA told him that she was very uncomfortable with his request, he persisted, saying: “It’s okay, if I touch your feet, I will pay you.”
“For female private-hire drivers such as Ms Herni, these sorts of unsettling encounters are an unfortunate reality of the job. While intoxicated passengers vomiting in vehicles or struggling to get home is all too common for drivers working the night shift, female drivers told CNA TODAY about unique challenges they encounter: Harassment, lewd remarks and feeling unsafe, particularly at night.”
“NEVER KNOW” WHAT CAN HAPPEN AT NIGHT”
“In CNA TODAY’s conversations with eight female drivers, many said that they prefer the calmer condition of late-night roads or opt for late shifts to balance day-time family responsibilities. However, they said that this comes with added risks, including a higher likelihood of encountering drunk passengers and unpredictable situations compared to the type of passengers likely to hail a ride in the morning or afternoon.”
“One practical tip she has learnt from fellow group member Roswaty Ahmad Zawawi, 51, is to lock the door and roll down the window, to check if passengers are sober enough to enter the car and take care of themselves during the ride. If the passenger is not in a fit condition, she would ask the passenger to cancel the ride, or cancel the ride herself and drive away, for her own safety.”
“What Platforms Are Doing”
“While these informal support groups offer much-needed support for female drivers on the road, ride-hailing platforms have also started to implement measures to make the occupation safer and more appealing to women. In response to CNA TODAY’s queries, ride-hailing platforms Grab, Gojek, TADA and Ryde highlighted various features and protocols in place to safeguard the well-being of their drivers.”
