“Send me a real-time location”, “don’t hang up the phone until I arrive”, “take a picture of the license plate” are expressions that are part of women’s daily lives.
Riding any form of transport is a growing cause of fear and insecurity only if: women who have been victims of vehicle harassment, theft or even harassment through apps or public service.
Therefore, since January of this year, a creative solution has become popular among residents of Medellín and Rionegro. Purple Drive was born as an alternative for women, with only drivers communicating with users. with your mediation.
Daniela Neira is one of the names behind this rapidly growing project that turned into a mobile application in less than two months.
The founder of Purple Drive explains women’s safety was her main motivation when creating the application.
“All services had to be booked by WhatsApp an hour ago. We had 50 drivers arriving via advertisement between both places. They were used to other apps, but joined because they felt safer,” he reassures. this time “nothing bad happened”.
The service, which was planned via WhatsApp, became known on Twitter as users shared their positive experiences.
Rumors that this women-only transportation model will turn into a mobile application and become widespread throughout the country began to circulate on social networks.
Neira confirms that this will be the case from March 25, when Purple Drive is available for download from the AppStore and PlayStore.
Among the key differences it will have over Uber, Didi, Indrive and Cabify, to name a few, There will be only female drivers in both cars and motorcycles.
There will be certification and authentication requirements for those who want to get behind the wheel, but it doesn’t cost anything. Likewise, users will not have to pay more to use this service because as the founder explains, it will be similar to other ‘apps’ so it will be competitive.
In addition there will be emergency button for driver and user If either of them feels threatened, they can put pressure on him.
“If something like this happens, we will call the relevant authorities. We will follow up,” says Neira.
Only men, adults under the age of 15 and older accompanying a woman will be able to use the service.
“It’s not allowed if it’s her father or boyfriend, but everything is in the hands of the driver,” says the founder of Purple Drive.
They also hope this will be the first choice for trans women, “because they are women and also a vulnerable population in transportation. We want them to feel safe,” says Neira.
From the app, users will have the ability to share the trip with their contacts.
Concerning the establishment of such a platform, the entrepreneur advocates for the opportunities it generates specifically for head of household mothers, as in the particular case of Purple Drive.
“With these practices, many people are able to make a living. If it is banned, people lose their livelihoods, so we wait for decisions to come out,” he said.
Neira is confident that this development will be very well received by Colombian women.
“We will feel more secure because we always leave for fear that something will happen to them and we want to give them peace of mind, confidence. They always know they will arrive safely and the same goes for the drivers.” … They can provide a service, they can generate income, and they can help us confront this problem of insecurity that women experience. We can all contribute.”
in published videos On TikTok and social networks There are already a few messages from women celebrating the existence of an app just for them.
“I’m really excited”, “It makes me happy because I don’t feel safe buying anything anymore”, “These ventures fill my heart”, “I hope there are enough dedicated women in my city, what a great relief” are some of the comments that can be seen in the videos on the subject.
DIGITAL SCOPE WRITING
TIME
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Source: Exame
