Rideshare App Exclusive To Women

A new rideshare app exclusively for women is coming to Charlotte. Creators of Safr say the app is a response to growing rideshare safety concerns, including a recent case where a Charlotte Uber driver reported being sexually assaulted by a passenger.

“I think I’d feel a lot safer in an Uber with a woman,” Charlotte resident Meghan Garby said.

“Sometimes I feel unsafe especially when I’m trying to get a ride alone.”

It’s not just riders who feel they’re at risk in the car with a stranger. In July a Charlotte Uber driver reported she was assaulted by a passenger.

“I was raped,” the victim told WCNC. “I was worried he was going to choke me or kill me. We need a panic button on the app.”

At the time, WCNC reached out to Uber to ask why there isn’t a panic button for drivers. On Wednesday, two months later, Uber announced that feature has officially launched along with a crash detection feature and new data analysis that will alert the company if a trip seems to be going in an unusual direction.

“It’s in the back of a woman’s head all the time especially at night you know am I OK?” said a spokesperson for Safr, the females-only rideshare app. “Men don’t have to think about that. Let’s create a space for women can feel free to move safely.”

Safr launches in Washington, D.C., Boston, Orlando, Atlanta, and Dallas this week. Charlotte will be included in phase two, expected to roll out by the new year.

“Whatever makes women feel safe and more secure in where they’re going I’m all for it,” Garby said.

Originally published at https://www.gosafr.com on September 11, 2018.