Black women to the rescue!
Two Black women have created a rideshare app that offers more safety for women and members of the LGBTQ community, Reckon reports.
Kiersten Harris and Jillian Anderson have teamed up to create HERide, a rideshare app aimed at providing safer, non-discriminatory rides for women and LGBTQIA+ users. Harris pulled inspiration for the app from a 2019 report documenting 3,045 sexual assaults during Uber rides. A victim of sexual assault herself, Harris decided to create an app filled with resources to prevent those attacks from happening. Anderson, a former Uber driver, utilized her experience to help make the app as safe as possible.
“Our motto is ‘Choose to be unbothered.’ We wanted to create a platform for women to feel safe and welcome,” Harris said. “Starting in an already established industry doesn’t mean you have to recreate the wheel. We wanted to improve the rideshare system for women, so we looked for ways to do that.”
The 22-year-old Atlanta native began by instituting a manual background check for drivers signing up with HERide. Uber currently uses an online portal that automates background checks. Harris hopes by manually doing them while simultaneously capping the number of drivers; they can ensure that the team at HERide is more familiar with their employees.
What is HERide?
A female friendly rideshare app alternative for women that simply want to get from Point A to Point B. pic.twitter.com/ZeEpFCFNRw— HERide (@getheride) February 3, 2020
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Anderson, a 25-year-old computer science engineer, has also added features such as a danger button that help provide more security for users of the app.
“Everything is based on our own experience. We all know people who have been stalked, bothered or even almost kidnapped during a ride or while driving,” Harris said.
HERide has recently launched in Atlanta, expanding for testing in Little Rock, Arkansas, with the hopes of launching in Dallas and across the south soon. In addition to ensuring safe travel for drivers and riders alike, the founders also hope to combat sex trafficking, stalking and domestic violence through added security features. They plan to partner with various organizations in each city to provide safe rides to those that need them.
“People see our message, and they see themselves,” Harris said. “They are choosing us not only because we are a rideshare app, but because they see themselves and what they value in us.”
For more information about HERide or to sign up as a driver, visit the website here.
Thank you for making it safe for everyone to get to where they need to be!
Photo Courtesy of Reckon