Women-only taxi service looks to expand

9 hours ago

Khadijah Hasan,in Milton Keynesand

Holly Nichols

Sharon Gorham and Chelsea Booth set up Women's Wheelz Taxis in December

Lily-May Symonds/BBC Two people are standing on either side of a white Hyundai car in an outdoor parking area. The car has the words “Women’s Wheelz” written in pink across the bonnet. Leafless trees line the background, and several parked cars are visible around the lot. The two women are standing close to the front of the vehicle, one wearing light-coloured clothing and the other in darker clothing. — Sharon Gorham and Chelsea Booth set up Women's Wheelz Taxis in December

A taxi service that only hires female drivers and aims to make passengers feel safer is hoping to expand into other big towns and cities.

Women's Wheelz Taxis was set up in Milton Keynes in December by former driving instructors Sharon Gorham and Chelsea Booth.

They said they had heard horror stories of women's experiences with some drivers and that they wanted to expand into Northampton, Bedford and Oxford.

Milton Keynes City Council has previously been told about complaints from female passengers. A spokesperson said the council ran "undercover operations" to monitor the quality of local drivers.

The pair told the BBC that the company - which has three drivers - was often used by schoolchildren, hospital patients and people with disabilities.

Finding new drivers was one of their biggest challenges, they explained.

Gorham said she felt standards in the industry were "pretty low" and was left feeling "nervous" after her own experience.

A male driver was "racing into the roundabouts", she explained, and singing along to "love songs" on the radio.

"I think the more that [we] talk about it, people are going to realise that actually there is a little bit of a problem out there and maybe it's time things changed," said Gorham.

Chelsea Booth and Sharon Gorham were driving instructors before setting up Women's Wheelz Taxis

Sharon Gorham Two women, Chelsea Booth and Sharon Gorham, are outdoors on a grassy area, at an event. They are smiling, one wearing a flower crown, the other wearing a white top. There are various people gathered in the background. — Chelsea Booth and Sharon Gorham were driving instructors before setting up Women's Wheelz Taxis

In 2024, Liberal Democrat Andy Carr told a Milton Keynes City Council meeting that it received a "high proportion" of complaints from women in regard to "inappropriate behaviour or language by taxi drivers towards female passengers".

The council encouraged all taxi drivers in the city to become White Ribbon ambassadors, and to display White Ribbon stickers in their vehicles as a show of solidarity.

Last year, over in Norfolk, a survey by the University of East Anglia students' union found 24% of respondents felt unsafe using cabs after dark.

Milton Keynes-based women's rights campaigner, Jane Whild, praised the new female taxi venture

Amy Holmes/BBC A picture of Jane Whild who has light-coloured, shoulder‑length hair. She is standing indoors in front of dark, floor‑length curtains. She is wearing a bright orange jacket over a white, high‑neck top. The lighting highlights the clothing and hair against the darker background. — Milton Keynes-based women's rights campaigner, Jane Whild, praised the new female taxi venture

Jane Whild from Milton Keynes is a member of the Fawcett Society, which campaigns for women's rights and gender equality.

She praised the Women's Wheelz Taxis venture as "great news", in the face of a "much bigger, urgent problem" around violence against women and girls.

Co-founder Booth also explained that the company had a lot of male customers who sometimes felt unsafe in taxis.

"I've had men comment to me about the driving standards of some of the taxis that they've been in and that they would prefer to be driven by us, and they're welcome," said Booth.

Bookings for their taxis can be made via a mobile app.

Vicky West, who runs a female-run taxi service in Dorset, also said: "I am all for the female drivers getting their businesses up and running and giving ladies a chance to feel safer in a taxi on their own."

A Milton Keynes City Council spokesperson said it was "proud" to be an accredited White Ribbon organisation "due to our actions tackling violence against women and girls".

They added: "Drivers licensed in Milton Keynes must meet strict standards and we run regular undercover operations to monitor compliance in a range of areas."

This month, taxi-hailing firm Uber launched a women-only feature for female passengers and drivers in the US.

Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.