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Bengaluru is one city that is making a very bold move in safer and more reasonable urban movements starting today, February 14, 2026, when the first entirely women-only auto-rickshaw service, Sakhi, officially opens. The venture is an all-women-only passengers, and all-women drivers only venture that absorbs concerns raised by women drivers since the 1960s in regards to safety, harassment, overpricing, and uneasiness on daily rides, particularly at late times.

Sakhi is created by one young entrepreneur Krishnavi Parekh, who was born as a result of insecure ride experiences and the common experience of thousands of women in the city. The service is launched today and has an initial fleet of approximately 50 trained female drivers (aged 21–40, most of them being former drivers) after a successful pilot in January 2026 (needing approximately 17 trips per week). There are already plans of enlarging the fleet and with time, incorporating trans women drivers.

Key Features of Sakhi:

• Unique and Protected — All ladies drivers and passengers; no male policy to make the trips with utmost comfort and safety.
• Transparent Pricing (No Surge) — Pro a la(Number) - ₹50 per first 2 km, 20 per each other km- cheap and transparent.
• Operating Hours - at first 6:00 AM - midnight; however, this may go 24/7 depending on the demand.
• Booking Made Easy Book online through ride.sakhiwomen.in or through WhatsApp 63619 33364. It is being developed in a special mobile application.
• Empowerment Focus - Sakhi provides opportunities to female drivers in order to have jobs beyond rides, allowing women to be more informed about the roads and earn money.

The pink colored automobiles (in response to female-focused initiatives) are a symbol of friendship (Sakhi translated to female friend in Hindi) and trust. The commuter will find well behaved and understanding drivers who are trained so as to make comfort and safety to their passengers a priority.

This is an initiation in the backdrop of the increasing demands of improved women mobility in Bengaluru where transport and ride-hailing services fail to offer them safety even in the night. There are other attempts such as pink autos or females-only buses, but Sakhi is a pure, app/web based taxi service.

Initial response on social media is mostly favourable with many terming it a game changer with regard to independence and safety of women. There are also some mixed opinions on larger implications to auto drivers, however, the idea is that of empowerment and choice.

As Sakhi hits the roads today, it promises not just rides—but a safer, more confident journey for women across Namma Bengaluru.