There is a new ride sharing venture starting in Geelong in February that will cater exclusively to women and children. The Geelong Advertiser reported that this new ride sharing service is called ‘Shebah” and will be rolled out in three states in mid-February.
This service is a brainchild of comedian and broadcaster George McEncore and will challenge the existing ride sharing service Uber by providing service to women and children only. The drivers of the car will be only females too. The idea behind this ride sharing service is to provide a safe ride to women and children who might be reluctant to get in a stranger’s taxi or Uber ride.
“There is a big safety aspect to it,” said Ms McEncore
Ms McEncore also wants to help those mothers whose children are not old enough to get on public transport and are too afraid to ride a taxi home.
“The idea is that it can help do the caring work that a lot of women are already doing for each other.”
Ms McEncore started a crown-funding campaign last year for this service and after receiving an overwhelming response from public in Geelong, decided to launch the service in this city. Looking at the increasing leadership in the disability sector in Geelong, Ms McEncore said that this service will also benefit the disable community.
Just like any other ride sharing facility, the drivers of Shebah will need to have certain qualifications and follow certain rules. For example, all drivers must hold a working with children check. They will also have to gain a yearly road worthy certificate on their car, hold car and ride-share insurance and they will have to be at least 21 years of age to qualify.
Premier Daniel Andrews has previously highlighted the ride-share venture.
“This is another option for the marketplace: a service founded by women, operated by women drivers, and designed for women passengers,” Mr Andrews said.
This service will be launched in Geelong, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and the Gold Coast in February.
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