A women-only taxi service operating in Querétaro city is meeting barriers in its path to success.
QroNosotras launched in 2019 and released an app in October 2021. Despite its unique selling point — offering women safer journeys — it only has eight vehicles, and is having difficulty attracting investors and more drivers.
The name refers to Querétaro and uses the feminine form for we to indicate who the service is for. Drivers, whose uniforms and vehicles are pink, are exclusively women who provide transport for other women and children under 15.
Co-founder Virginia Campos said the idea first came about in 2015 due to the better experience women drivers had when serving customers of the same sex. “As operators of yellow taxis at the time, we realized the needs of women, both operators and users … we saw that it is a good opportunity and a good source of employment …”
The company has reached agreements with six vehicle agencies that enable interested drivers to acquire vehicles. However, Campos said that sexism was preventing the business from expanding its driver base. “There are many women interested, but unfortunately in two out of 10 cases they don’t join because their husbands don’t allow it.”
Another co-founder, Angélica Reyes Servín, agreed that sexism was hindering their progress. “We are still lagging behind in the sense that the patriarchal system is imposing its sexism, but we are not going to stop … The advantage here is that women are becoming more and more empowered,” she said.
Reyes added that QroNosotras is part of a cultural shift to make society safer for women. “We are contributing to security, which we really do need … we are looking for those spaces that are free of violence for us,” she said.
QroNosotras is looking for investors to help grow the project, both male and female.
With reports from El Universal
