Pitched and written fore FLARE. Reposted by Chatelaine.
It was late at night in downtown Toronto and Aisha Addo hopped into a cab for the long trek back to her home in Mississauga. The driver started up a conversation but soon began making sexual comments and asking personal questions, like whether the Addo lived alone. “You know when you’re in a situation and you just get this feeling that there’s something weird or off?” she says. “It was like that.” Feeling uncomfortable, Addo called a friend who stayed on the phone with her until she arrived safely at her home—but the experience stayed with her long after she exited the cab. “I shouldn’t have to worry about my girls being in a car or have to stay on the phone to make sure that they actually get home safe,” she says. “It’s really important to have an option.”
So the 24-year-old, who came to Canada from Ghana more than a decade ago, took it upon herself to create one. DriveHer, which is planning to launch in the Greater Toronto Area this August, is an Uber-like ridesharing platform to connect female passengers with female drivers—intended to ensure a safe ride for both parties.
Ishani Nath 