Anderson had a level in pc science and in 2019, she felt it was time to make the leap into the sector. She started creating a ride-sharing app that was devoted to serving ladies.
Earlier this month, I took a brief trip throughout which I used Uber and Lyft about eight instances. Each time, the driving force was male. Each time, I thought of how susceptible I used to be as a woman touring with a minor. As at all times, I went by the calculations in my thoughts of what I might do if some horrible occasion happened.
According to a 2020 survey launched by the National Council for Home Safety and Security, greater than 50% of girls riders reported some stage of concern throughout rides with Uber starting from an uncomfortable encounter (23%) to incidents that rose to the extent of involving police (8%). Just over 30% of females reported issues with Lyft rides, together with 15% reporting an uncomfortable encounter and slightly below 3% reporting an assault or close to assault.
In a December 2019 security report, Uber revealed that greater than 3,000 incidents of driver or rider sexual assault happened throughout Uber rides in 2018. In the same report issued in 2021, Lyft disclosed that about 1,800 incidents of driver or rider sexual assault occurred throughout Lyft rides in 2019.
Uber and Lyft, which make up 99% of the ride-sharing market (69% for Uber and 30% for Lyft as of March 2020), responded to those issues by introducing enhancements corresponding to extra frequent driver background checks and in-app emergency contacts, however neither company launched the choice for riders to request female drivers. Both corporations have confronted lawsuits from ladies who’ve skilled sexual assault whereas utilizing the app.
Most ladies (79%) within the National Council for Home Safety and Security survey cited security as an element when deciding which rideshare app to make use of and 45% stated they like female drivers.
“Women have been asking for this for years, but when you look at the top two ride-share companies out there now … they are dealing with battery and assault. It is men versus women or men versus men. If you remove that common denominator, most of those issues will go away,” Anderson stated.
Initially, Anderson had wished to change into an IT director or cybersecurity analyst. Instead, she utilized her IT abilities to develop HERide, an Atlanta-based ride-sharing service for female drivers and female passengers that’s at present in beta mode.
HERide customers can create an account and prebook a journey upfront of their desired pickup time. An estimated fare is generated and the journey is confirmed if a driver is on the market. Anderson says she is not going to activate the on-demand function till the roster of energetic drivers, at present numbering 55, reaches 200 to 250.
Though the idea of woman-only ride-sharing has gotten extra consideration in recent times, success available in the market has been restricted. Two early providers developed in 2016, Massachusetts-based Chariot for Women and California-based See Jane Go, have ceased operations. Safr, a service initially supposed to service ladies, now works with companion organizations reasonably than most of the people.
The greatest hurdle to the survival of women-only ride-sharing corporations is discovering sufficient ladies to function drivers, in line with a 2019 examine from researchers at UCLA. Fewer ladies drivers means larger wait instances for riders. Higher wait instances would require decrease fares to compensate however on the similar time, a gender-based system must provide larger wages to recruit extra ladies drivers. The mannequin may very well be worthwhile by rising the pool of girls clients, the examine discovered.
Anderson stated present drivers for HERide have stated they recognize the compensation.
“We pay our drivers 80% of the fare,” stated Anderson. “I know ride-share is a transient industry so I want to have people driving for us for years.”
She additionally is aware of from her personal expertise that when ride-sharing is the first earnings, drivers will preserve a relentless schedule — six days per week, across the clock — to generate profits. “I don’t want drivers to have to work all day to make $100,” she stated.
Anderson is engaged on constructing partnerships with firms and nightlife institutions to create constant demand and develop the pool of consumers wanted to help the enterprise.
It has been difficult for female-friendly ride-sharing providers to search out their place, however with 25% of the U.S. inhabitants ride-sharing a minimum of as soon as a month and with the worldwide business anticipated to succeed in a valuation of $220 billion (greater than double what it’s now) by 2025, there have to be a marketplace for one thing that so many ladies say they need.
Women may also help create that demand by supporting female-friendly providers.
Read extra on the Real Life weblog (www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/) and discover Nedra on Facebook (www.fb.com/AJCRealLifeColumn) and Twitter (@nrhoneajc) or electronic mail her at nedra.rhone@ajc.com.