There Could Soon Be A Female-Only Version Of Uber
A female-only version of Uber could soon be launched [Photo: pixabay.com via Pexels]
A few year’s ago our get home options were limited to joining the rest of the world in a taxi queue snaking back six miles, avoiding spew strewn floors on the night bus or taking your chances walking. And then came Uber. But though the introduction of the car service app has been revolutionary, there have been some worrying rumbles about sexual harassment and violence.
But a new Boston-based startup has decided to respond to women’s concerns about getting home alone, by launching a sort of female-only Uber.
Chariot for Women (we’re hoping that name is a work in progress) will be trialled next week, and promises to hire only female drivers and serve only women and children.
It’s the brainchild of a former Uber driver, Michael Pelletz who got the idea for the company after hearing stories about unsafe travel and Uber drivers hitting on women.
Talking about how the idea came about on the Chariot website, Pelletz explains “just one bad apple behind the wheel, and those women would not be safe at all.”
Uber has revolutionised getting home but could a female-only version be even better? [Photo: freestocks.org via Pexels]
According to the website, the app plans to protect passengers by fingerprinting all drivers and partner with local law enforcement to run comprehensive background checks. They also plan on using a safe word system to prove you’ve got in the right drivers car.
So far, according to USA Today, over 1,000 women have already signed up to drive for Chariot.
The idea is the brainchild of a former Uber driver [Photo: jeshots.com via Pexels]
But as brilliant as it all sounds, there are a few legal question marks hanging over the app’s introduction, mainly concerning whether only employing female drivers and limiting the customer base to women could be deemed discrimination.
“You can’t limit hiring to just one gender,” employment law specialist Joseph Sulman told ABC News. “From a public accommodation aspect, you can’t limit who you offer your services to just one gender.”
It may be some time before the legal concerns are ironed out, even longer before the app comes over to the UK. So in the mean time, if you need us, we’ll be in that six mile long taxi queue.
What do you think of the idea? Let us know @YahooStyleUK
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