Shrinivasa.M@timesofindia.com Mysuru: With more than 53 women auto drivers available in the city, women-only auto-booking app Kyra Rides has now expanded its services to Mysuru. The service is expected to provide women passengers an option to book rides operated only by women drivers. Taliru Foundation, which trains women to drive autorickshaws and helps them earn a livelihood, connects them with donors for financial support to purchase autos. The foundation has partnered with the ride-hailing app in the city. Kyra Rides, founded by 19-year-old student Divyashri Patil in Bengaluru, launched its service in Mysuru on Oct 1. According to Patil, 10 women drivers have been onboarded so far, while the process to rope in another 30 drivers is under way. “I depend on autos for my travel, but often felt uncomfortable for various reasons. Many women passengers also face similar challenges. As a solution to this, I launched the app,” she said. “In Mysuru too, there is a large population of women students, working women and others who depend on auto services. Keeping them in mind, we launched the service here,” she added. Taliru Foundation, which has been providing free autorickshaw driving training to underprivileged women in Mysuru since 2024, collaborated with Kyra Rides to expand its services and create more opportunities for women auto drivers in the city. “We have trained more than 80 women in auto driving, and around 53 of them are now driving autos in the city. We are in the process of onboarding around 40 more women auto drivers,” she said. Uma, a resident of Gayatripuram who has been driving an auto for almost a year-and-a-half now, said there is a huge demand for autos run by women drivers like her. “I hope our efforts will help ensure women passengers have a safe and comfortable ride,” she said.
