Women who have experienced an uncomfortable taxi or Uber ride will now have another alternative.
DriveHER Transportation is a ridesharing app set to launch Friday with the goal of providing services “for women and by women within the Greater Toronto Area.” Each driver and passenger will be female, something company founder Aisha Addo hopes will encourage a sense of community and safety.
“We just want to create an alternative to what’s already out there and provide an opportunity for women to go from point A to point B just having piece of mind,” Addo said to CP24.
The app includes a number of safety features, including tips for drivers and passengers and a reporting mechanism that makes it possible for the company to investigate incidents in real time.
“If at any point you feel uncomfortable or there is an incident, you can hit that button and it will alert us right away and we will look into it,” Addo said.
DriveHER has also partnered with shelters to provide free or subsidized rides to women and children in precarious situations. The social impact element of DriveHER sprung from Addo’s personal commitment to female empowerment. As an organizer at the Power to Girls Foundation, which provides mentorship and leadership programs to young girls, Addo has heard many stories from women who have to resort to car-sharing services when they have to stay late at school.
“I think it is a matter of choice and creating options,” she said. “In the past, options weren’t available to women. This is something that women have been speaking about for a long time and we listened.”
According to the company, men account for 85.1 per cent of drivers within the taxi industry. This is something DriverHER wants to change. There are over 1,000 female drivers already registered with the app. All drivers undergo a screening test and background check before they are allowed to use the platform.
Addo made sure to stress that the ride-sharing service does not discriminate against men. Instead, she says it provides an alternative for women who may have had negative experiences with car-sharing in the past.
“There are a lot of women who have experienced some level of violence, some level of attack, some level of assault, some level of even harassment. In my case, the taxi driver was asking me some really uncomfortable questions,” she told CTV News Toronto.
According to the company’s website, men are allowed to accompany female passengers if the driver is comfortable with it. However, if two people are travelling to different destinations, the male companion must be the first one dropped off.
The reaction to the app has so far been mostly positive, with one unnamed woman telling CTV News Toronto that she intends on using the service once it launches.
“Taking a taxi late at night in the city with a man always feels a little unsafe,” she said.
Following a press conference scheduled for March 16 at noon, users will be able to download the app, set up their profiles, and order a ride.
The app is available on both Android and IOS platforms.
