Officially launched on April 19, the app Chariot for Women (CFW) is a transportation service directed towards females and young boys under the age of 13 which provides female drivers for customers commuting from one place to another. CFW was created by former Boston uber driver Michael Pelletz with the intentions of making taxi like services safer for not only women customers, but women drivers.

Though many would vouch that their experiences with Uber and Lyft drivers have been nothing but safe, convenient and helpful, however the number of sexual assault claims says differently. According to whosdrivingyou.org, incidents involving alleged assaults, harassment, kidnapping, felons behind the wheel and more have arisen all over the country and caused massive consequences for innocent passengers everywhere. There have also been even incidents resulting in more than 10 deaths due to unsafe driving and intentional murder. “Though it’s so easy to access an Uber or Lyft since they’re everywhere, there’s always the chance you’re going to get into the car with someone unsafe,” senior Heath McCoy said.

Overall, CFW has higher safety standards than other transportation apps such as Uber and Lyft. For example, in addition to thorough background checks and the providing of a picture of the driver, the car and the license plate to passengers, customers will also be sent a “safe word.” If the driver knows the word, the passenger can get the ride; if the driver does not, the passenger knows enough not to get inside of the car. “I think the safe word system is really smart because it prevents passengers from getting into unsafe situations with imposter drivers,” junior Sophia Constantine said.

Additionally, Chariot for Women donates 2% of every last fare towards charities, non-profit organizations and foundations that are women-focused with the goal of empowering and aiding females in difficult situations such as violence and abuse, diseases, etc. The app will list 10 local and national charities every month, and the customer has the ability to decide where their 2% goes. As the button is pressed, the money is immediately deposited to that charity’s bank account. “I think it’s great Chariot for Women donates a portion of their funds to a charity of your choice,” senior Lillie Scheer said. “I just hope that doesn’t make the rides extremely expensive.”