A new rideshare app called Chariot for Women is set to launch on April 19 in Boston that will only employ female drivers and only accepted female passengers and children. With the companies like Uber and Lyft coming under pressure lately to implement passenger safety measures, Chariot—which is currently seeking a new name—is a timely entry into the rideshare game.
Currently just 19 percent of Uber drivers in the United States are women, according to USA Today. More than 1,000 women have signed up to drive for Chariot in Boston. Drivers for the company will be fingerprinted and go through background checks with local law enforcement and will make $25 per hour. For added security Chariot will have all drivers answer a security question at the beginning of their shift to confirm their identity and the app will provide passengers and drivers a ‘safe word’ that needs to be confirmed by the driver before the ride begins.
While the new app has altruistic goals to keep women comfortable and safe the service could be challenged in court based on the fact that it will only offer service to women. While it is legal for a company to target advertising to a certain demographic, the fact that Chariot will refuse to pick up a man might end the company before it begins. The owner of the company, Michale Pelletz, said in an interview with the Washington Post that he is not concerned with any potential legal issues because his company is prepared.
While many companies talk about women’s safety, Chariot’s entire business model is founded on helping women stay safe. The reality of how well the service will do is still up in the air because of the legal grey area as well as if the company will be able to provide fast, efficient service for women looking for a ride. If there is a choice of waiting half an hour for a Chariot ride or getting an Uber right away it could be an uphill battle for the company to be competitive.
This article was written by Jennifer Passas from PSFK and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.
