In a country where 49 women are murdered each week, getting around Mexico safely is a daily gamble. Public transportation poses a high risk and taxis are only marginally safer.
When ride-hailing apps arrived, the female population sighed in relief. Last September, however, a 19-year-old college student named Mara Castilla ordered a Cabify after a night out with friends, and authorities found her body days later.
Her driver got arrested on suspicion of rape and murder. Castilla is not the first woman to experience a tragedy when using a ride-hailing app in Mexico. Last year, a woman accusing a Mexico City Uber driver of rape also hit the news.
Women have recently been turning to what seems like a brilliant idea: “Uber for women.” Apps like Laúdrive promise the safety of female passengers by pairing them with drivers of their gender.
So-called “pink taxi” programs have come and gone throughout the years in cities across the United States. Will they fare any better in Mexico?
Driver profiles and GPS tracking can no longer ensure riders’ complete safety, so how much can a women-only service ease minds? Luis Fernando Montes de Oca started Laúdrive two years ago after wondering to himself why Uber had few women behind the wheel.
Only 14% of drivers in the U.S. are female. “The main reason was because they felt unsafe, but when their passengers were also women, they felt safer,” Montes de Oca stated.
The “Laú” in Laúdrive means “lute” in Spanish, and wishes to imply “harmony between drivers and riders.” Following the news of Castilla’s death, Laúdrive downloads increased by 600%.
The service includes a panic button that immediately dials 911 and alerts authorities of a problem within the trip. Although Laúdrive is meant exclusively for women and children under age 12, after 20 rides, the app allows riders to bring a male passenger along.
Besides helping increase general travel safety, Montes de Oca also hopes his app will help opening up job opportunities for women who stopped themselves from driving Uber. Laúdrive is currently struggling to recruit and perform background checks on enough drivers to meet demand.
The downside to Laúdrive is that their wait times are longer than regular ride-hailing apps. The average fare for a Laúdrive ride is higher than Uber, while the driver’s commission is lower than Uber, as well.
In a nutshell, Laúdrive is facing the all the difficulties launching a specialized service entails, which is made even more difficult in the presence of more popular apps. Laúdrive has already signed around 1000 drivers that they call “Laudys” and recently celebrated its 100,000th download.
For now, it’s only operational in Mexico City but aims to expand to four other Mexican cities, triple its drivers and double its riders by next quarter. “We are a niche business, but it’s a niche that has this need,” Montes de Oca states.
Up until now, Uber has claimed it has no plans to offer a women-only option, stating their female drivers don’t like the idea.
This article was inspired by CITYLAB // In Mexico, Momentum Builds for Women-Only Ride-Hailing Apps