The pink taxi service in Yorkshire. UK

As someone who believes in equality for all, I recently came across the concept of "pink taxis" — a taxi service with female drivers exclusively for women and girls, aiming to provide a sense of safety. At first glance, this might seem like a good idea, especially in light of the unfortunate experiences some women have had with male drivers. But let's take a step back and think about what this really means....

Oh boy, where do I start with this one? So, there’s a new thing in town: pink taxis — taxis driven by women, for women. Why? Because, apparently, we’re all just waiting to hop into a stranger’s car and wonder, “Is this one of the good men, or the bad ones?”

The idea behind this service is clear: women feel safer with female drivers because they may have had bad experiences with men. But here’s the kicker — they seem to have missed the point that fear doesn’t have a single gender. If a woman’s had a bad experience with a man, sure, she might feel more comfortable with a woman.  But what about men who might feel more comfortable with a male driver after having a bad experience with a woman? What about a man who’s had a bad experience with another man and would prefer a female driver? Or — wait for it — a woman who’s had a bad experience with another woman? Are we seriously going to pretend that doesn’t happen? I was stalked by a woman myself..... 

What we’re really doing here is playing a very selective game of taxi roulette. We’re supposed to believe that matching women with women is the magic solution to safety. But who’s to say which driver is "safe"? Newsflash: there’s no secret handshake for "safe people." To me, it seems like a narrow approach to assume that safety and comfort can only be achieved through matching female passengers with female drivers. It feeds into a simplistic narrative that all men are potentially dangerous while all women are inherently safe. But isn’t this just a form of gender bias, flipped on its head?

The logic goes something like this: “Oh, but we don’t know which men are safe!” True, but we also don’t know which women are safe. Should we start segregating every public service? Female-only grocery stores? Male-only parks? Should we make everyone wear badges: “Hi, I’m John, and I’m a nice guy!” or “Hello, I’m Jane, but I wouldn’t get in a car with me if I were you.”

Let’s call it what it is: fearmongering with a splash of pink paint. We’re building up a society that whispers to women from a young age, “Careful, men are dangerous.” Is that really the message we want to send?

Now, I’m not saying safety isn't important. Of course, it is! But if we’re going to paint men as the bogeymen of public transport, where does that leave us? It’s just another way to drive a wedge between people — pun very much intended. By creating services like these, are we inadvertently promoting a culture of fear? Are we saying that women can only trust other women? Because if we are, then we’re missing a crucial point: people, regardless of gender, can be both safe and unsafe.

And let’s not pretend this is just about “women’s safety.” It’s about a cultural trend that makes us look at each other with suspicion, and turns simple daily tasks — like catching a cab — into some weird social experiment. Why should we feed the narrative that we’re all enemies?

This kind of thinking only adds to the culture of fearmongering that views men as inherently untrustworthy. Sure, we don’t automatically know which men are safe or not — but let’s not forget that we don’t automatically know which women are safe or not, either. It’s dangerous to assume that danger is only gendered one way.

Look, I’m just saying, can we stop treating every man like a potential monster lurking behind the steering wheel? It’s like some bad thriller movie plot: Night of the Male Drivers. Do we really need a taxi service that reinforces stereotypes like it’s handing out free candy?

How about this for a radical idea: let’s focus on actual solutions- a truly egalitarian way about it. How about better training, rigorous background checks, and technology like in-car cameras or emergency buttons? You know, stuff that actually makes sense rather than just segregating us based on the assumption that a pink logo and some oestrogen are going to save the day.

Personally? I couldn’t care less if my driver is a man or a woman. What I care about is whether they’re competent, professional, and know the difference between a gas pedal and a brake. I’m an equal-opportunity safety freak — and I think it’s time we all were. Services like these "pink taxis" feel like they take the easy way out, offering a solution that only reinforces existing stereotypes rather than breaking them down.

Here’s a thought: instead of building more walls between men and women, let’s break them down.  Instead of pushing the idea that men are to be feared and women are to be trusted, let's encourage a more inclusive perspective that prioritizes human decency, accountability, and genuine safety measures for everyone. Because believe it or not, safety isn’t a gendered thing — it’s a human thing. So, let’s ditch the pink taxis and focus on real, sensible solutions that make everyone feel safe, without all the unnecessary drama.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a taxi to catch — and I don’t care who’s driving.