Request for Proposal (RFP) for Electric Rickshaw (e-rickshaw) Services by Excluded Women for Women – Phase 2

E-rickshaw services by female drivers will provide women commuters increased freedom of movement without the persistent threat of physical, sexual and emotional abuse. In Nepal, issues of sexual harassment against women in public transport and related concerns about women’s safety and mobility, have attracted considerable attentions in the media. The World Bank’s Report on ‘Gender and Public Transport in Nepal[1] outlined specific transport concerns of women which included overcrowding, increased sense of personal insecurity, reckless driving and physical difficulties related to getting on/off. Women with children also found public transport to be a major problem. In the report, the importance of the availability of means of transportation was highlighted for women’s independence and related their access to decent employment opportunities and education.

An additional concern highlighted in relation to transport in Nepal is the extreme level of air pollution.[2] There is an increasing interest in modes of transport that use cleaner forms of energy including gas, electricity or hybrid forms of both. Therefore, e-rickshaws that are clean, convenient, connected, clever and cost effective, was considered the best fit for the pilot.  E-rickshaws have also become an effective alternative means of transportation when there is an acute shortage of fuel.