- Bengaluru VC praised women auto drivers for safe and polite driving in a viral post
- He observed male drivers often sped, honked, and ignored traffic rules on Bengaluru roads
- Women drivers used newer electric autos, followed rules, and honked only seven times in 3 rides
A Bengaluru-based entrepreneur and venture capitalist has sparked discussion online after praising the driving discipline of women auto-rickshaw drivers in the city. In a viral social media post, he described his recent travel experiences as "refreshing" and very different from his usual rides. Sanjay Ramakrishnan, founder and general partner at Multiply Ventures, shared his observations on LinkedIn, where he spoke about what he called a "stark contrast" in driving behaviour.
Ramakrishnan said he lives around 1.5 kilometres from his workplace and regularly books auto-rickshaws through Namma Yatri and Rapido for short-distance travel.
Over the past three weeks, he said he had three women auto drivers, and all of them shared qualities that he rarely experienced during rides with male drivers.
According to Ramakrishnan, the experience made him reflect on the difference in driving styles.
In his post, Ramakrishnan said many male drivers he encountered drove recklessly on Bengaluru roads. He described frequent speeding, constant honking, sudden movements around potholes and phone usage while driving. He also mentioned near-misses, jumping traffic signals and occasional wrong-way driving during some rides.
Ramakrishnan added that he had often wished auto-rickshaws came with seat belts because of such experiences.
He said the women drivers were noticeably different in their driving behaviour.
According to Ramakrishnan, they drove relatively new electric vehicles that were compact, clean and had doors on both sides. He also noted that the drivers politely asked for permission before starting the trip.
He said they maintained a comfortable pace during the rides and used very little honking. Across all three rides combined, he counted only seven honks. Ramakrishnan further said the drivers gave space to pedestrians, followed traffic rules and slowed down near potholes instead of driving aggressively.
Check Out The Post Here:
He described the overall experience as refreshing. Ramakrishnan also wrote that if ride-hailing platforms gave customers the option to choose between male and female drivers, he would prefer women drivers based on his recent experiences.
At the same time, he clarified that his view was based on a small sample of rides, though he felt the experience was significant enough to share because he uses autos several times a week in Bengaluru.
Social Media Reaction
The post later sparked conversations on LinkedIn, with many users sharing similar experiences and discussing issues related to driving behaviour and road safety.
One user commented, "My experience with women auto-drivers in Chennai has been remarkable - reliable, efficient, professional. If the apps had a 'select' option, I'd pick a woman driver every time!!"
Another user noted, "They drove relatively new electric vehicles - compact, clean, with doors on both sides."
"Had a very similar experience on Mother's Day in Dehradun same calm, careful driving, same feeling that I could finally “exhale” in the back seat," added a third user.
