Safety first: Rideshare for women coming to Chicago

A female entrepreneur is driven to make the rideshare industry safer for women.

She is developing a new transportation option on the East Coast that is expected to make its way to Chicago, and she is taking it a step further -- not only creating an environment where women feel safe in the car, but can succeed in their careers.

"Chicago is always coming up," said Kim Evans, founder and CEO of Just Her Rideshare. "There are so many carjackings that it's so unsafe and I’m thinking what's happening there, not only is it unsafe for riders, but it's unsafe for drivers."

At least seven rideshare drivers were held at gunpoint and carjacked in Chicago just last month, according to Chicago police.

Evans believes she can make the rideshare experience safer for both riders and drivers.

"Kim is definitely adding a peace of mind aspect to a lot of women and especially a lot of professional women that are ridesharing all of the time," said future rider Ashely Richardson.

The company will hire exclusively female drivers, and while they cannot discriminate against who uses the service, they are targeting women.

"So not only will you be able to get a safe, great rideshare, but you're going to be able to get other resources as well," Evans said.

The company is expected to offer incentives and bonuses to female drivers and create resources for women to engage with one another.

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The Just Her Rideshare app will host inspirational speakers, networking events and information on sex trafficking and domestic violence.

"I decided I would close the gap on the inefficiencies of our competitors to create a space for women," Evans said.

She says the fee to ride will be on par with other rideshare companies. She is hoping to expand the service to new cities like Chicago within the next two years.