Submitted by:

 

Jiyoen HA, South Korea, Israel Asia Centre Fellow and Civil & Environmental Engineering Student at the Technion

 

Contact info: Jiyeon Ha

 

The Need:

 

In India, as in much of the world, women and girls often face sexual harassment and violence when riding taxis or public transportation. There is thus a need to develop an app that would include safeguard mechanisms to allow for trustworthy travel such as carpooling. Increasing ridesharing will also help riders save money; reduce traffic congestion; and help protect the environment.

 

The Challenge

 

Develop an app that may be used on basic feature phones that would include multiple safeguard mechanisms to allow for trustworthy travel such as carpooling.

 

Existing Solutions:

 

Ride Services

 

Match & Ride

Match and ride is an online tool that helps you find compatible car pool partners quickly and safely online. Simply provide some basic information about yourself and you will be matched with others who are a good fit. Any information you provide is confidential and will not be shared without your permission. Drivers provide personal references, riders are encouraged to give friends or family the names of people with who they are carpooling and their schedule

- Learn more: http://www.pacommutes.com/ridesharing/car-pooling/how-to-get-started/match-and-ride/

 

LiftShare

A UK social enterprise that matches drivers with passengers. Their software is integrated into Google maps and immediately shows you possible shares of your journey. It also estimates how much money and carbon emissions you will save. They have an interesting statistics page, which currently says there are 67,803,557 planned shares in the coming year which equates to 125,575,626 shared miles!

- Learn more: http://www.tech4good.com/liftshare/

 

Zimride  

Ridesharing platform using social networks to enable real connections. In seconds you set up a profile, book ride in area, or post ride of your own. Safety includes requiring that users connect to Facebook to build reputation and establish identity within the community; provide private name and phone private until a booking has been accepted; feedback and testimonials; when a booking is accepted, passengers are charged but payment is held until 24 hours after the ride is complete. If the ride doesn’t happen or something goes wrong, simply let us know and only get paid if goes well, etc.

-Learn more: http://www.zimride.com/

 

GPS Related

Circle of 6 is an app designed to help college students connect to 6 friends of your choosing to stay close, stay safe and prevent violence before it happens. Two touches lets circle know where you are and how they can help. Icons represent actions so that no one can tell what you’re up to. In India, after the devastating gang rape and murder of a young woman in New Delhi, Circle of 6 downloads rose sharply. Now exists in New Delhi and is programmed for use in both English and Hindi, including a specific translation note for the Hindi that makes the app gender-neutral to ensure that the app speaks to people of all genders and orientations. Hotlines are now pre-programmed for the recently formed 24/7 women’s hotline of New Delhi and the Jagori advocacy helpline. As a suggested third number, the user is directed to the Lawyer’s Collective if calling the police feels unsafe, which for many women it does.

 

- For iTunes and Android

-See video http://vimeo.com/38802136

- Learn more at: www.circleof6app.com/about/india#sthash.gHHP6eyo.dpuf

 

Get Taxi: App that allows you to order and track your taxi.

- For Android, iphone, blackberry

- Learn more at: www.gettaxi.com

 

Waze is the world's fastest-growing community-based traffic and navigation app. Shares real-time traffic and road info, saving everyone time and gas money on their daily commute.

- Android or iPhone

-Learn more at: www.waze.com

 

Other Sources with Similar Security Requirements

 

Air BnB: An online service that provides a platform for individuals referred to as “hosts”, generally private parties, to rent unoccupied living space and other short-termlodging to guests. As of September 2013, the company had over 500,000 listings in 33,000 cities and 192 countries. In terms of safety, they ask to include official ID, verify online profile, upload photo, verify email and phone number; you earn reviews that appear on Airbnb profile. Reviews are written by real Airbnb users who have booked reservations on the site and want to let the community know of their experiences; all communication stays on Airbnb; Security deposit helps protect hosts and guests from accidents that occur during a reservation.

- Learn more: https://www.airbnb.com/

 

Couchsurfing: a global community of 6 million people in more than 100,000 cities who share their life, their world, their journey, and their couch. Couchsurfing connects travelers with a global network of people willing to share in profound and meaningful ways, making travel a truly social experience. Safety includes working off of peer review and references and having Trust and Safety Team for emergencies.

-Learn more: https://www.couchsurfing.org/n/safety_faq

 

In Developing World:

In the capital city Mogadishu in Somalia, security has improved in the past year, leading two companies to start up taxi services that focus on the safety of their passengers. Mogadishu Taxi and City Taxi have vehicles that are clearly marked so that customers can be assured they are choosing a safe way to travel. The two taxi companies, with 110 cars combined, charge a flat rate of $5 to and from any part of the capital. This is incredibly low in contrast to other companies that charge more than $15.