Lebanese entrepreneur, Nawal Yagi had an idea to get women employed and make female tourists feel comfortable in Lebanon. Yagi started “Banat Taxi”, an all girls cab services. Yes, I mean all girl; pink, makeup, fashion and the whole nine yards.

On March 10th, 2009, the new company was launched in Northeast Beirut. Ms. Yagi’s biggest concern was to insure her all women drivers, “I thought we will never get our drivers insured, since this is an all men profession” she said. According to Yagi she placed an ad in a local newspaper and received many applications. “I only chose women older than 30 who are fashionable and well mannered” Ms. Yagi also owns a beauty shop in the same building where her cab business located.

Of course, this wouldn’t be a woman’s profession without a cute uniform. Black pants, white shirt, pink tie, a pink rose in the hair and not to forget the mandatory makeup. The all women cab business is hoping to lure Arab female tourists mainly from the gulf region (the target demographic). I can see the Beirut’s Gay community loving it, especially if they share the flair for the kitschy that makes American gay parades such fun sites.

This all female taxi services is not the first in the Arab world. A UAE-based company launched one. However, the economist wannabe in me worries about the deadweight loss problem: they lose potential profits because the cab offers its service to women only. It remains unclear if couples would be allowed to use the taxi services.

Would you take this cab?

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