It’s now easier for NYC women to look for female taxi drivers

Sometimes a woman can be hard to find - if you’re looking for one behind the wheel of a taxi in New York City. Less than 3 per cent of the city’s 115,000 licensed taxi, livery and limousine drivers are women, and that can be a problem for women who are reluctant to get into a cab alone with a male driver because of safety concerns or religious and social mores. A new app called SheTaxi locates taxis with a woman behind the wheel in New York City, Westchester County and Long Island. The drivers wear pink scarves to be easily identified.

Why don’t we have female drivers exclusively for female riders? It would be nice to have that choice.

SheTaxi’s creator Stella Mateo

SheTaxi, called SheRides in New York City, will be available for the iPhone initially, and an Android version is in the works. There also are plans to expand to other cities. Passengers pay their fare through the app using a credit or debit card. The drivers are independent contractors, and 100 women have signed up as drivers so far. Taxi and Limousine Commission regulations say for-hire car services are prohibited from refusing customers. Mateo said female drivers registered with her app are free to pick up anyone they want; the app merely helps women who are looking for female drivers. She also hopes the app will spur more women to join the profession.

We’re not looking to take over the industry, we’re just looking to raise the number.

Stella Mateo

Technology shetaxi