There is a new Uber-like app that only accepts female drivers and passengers
Getting and giving rides just became a lot safer for women
A new app has been launched to ensure the safety of female passengers, using an Uber-like format. It’s called “Chariot for Women” and it is the first taxi-like service that is solely for women. Quite literally, there are no male drivers and no male passengers. The app can only be utilized by women.
This comes as a result of the thousands of cases reported under the keywords “rape” and “sexual assault”, which returned 5,827 and 6,160 tickets, respectively, from the Uber database. Just last month, a male driver in India was arrested under suspicion of rape.
Courtesy of Dose.com
The idea came from Boston native, Michael Pelletz, an ex-Uber driver. One night, at the end of a 13-hour shift, his service was requested by a belligerently drunk man. The passenger repeatedly tried to reach for a concealed object in his pocket and antagonized Pelletz, who eventually had to pull over and call the police.
In the moment, Pelletz recalls thinking, “What if I was a woman? How would a woman handle that situation, especially when I was so nervous myself?” That thought sparked an idea, and that idea was Chariot for Women.
There are very simple guidelines for both passengers and drivers on the app to follow. While any gender under the age of 13 may use the app, it restricts any male that is 13 years or older. Anyone who is transgender and identifies as female is also entitled to using the app.
The app is a much safer alternative to Uber, utilizing features like “safety word”, which will help a passenger know for sure whether or not the person who claims to be their driver is actually their driver. Chariot for Women also performs stringent background checks by using the platform Safer Places. The app will also donate 2 percent of each fare to women-focused charities, an added bonus.
Founder, Michael Pelletz, and President, Kelly Pelletz, courtesy of Boston.com
The company in charge of the app has already received praise and backlash since the idea went public late last week. In a social media poll released by Kristen Hall-Geisler, woman unanimously voted in favor of the app. However, many people familiar with Massachusetts law have already noted a few issues that may possibly arise for the app, including the possibility of gender discrimination. But Palletz does not seem to be fazed.
“We look forward to legal challenges. We want to show there’s inequality in safety in our industry. We hope to go to the U.S. Supreme Court to say that if there’s safety involved, there’s nothing wrong with providing a service for women.”
Chariot for Women is going to be released for download in the Boston area on April 19, and if all goes well, it will be released throughout the country soon after.