eCabs has announced a new ride type category operated by women for women that’s geared towards supporting female drivers, promoting passenger safety, as well as contributing to women’s education and empowerment initiatives.
The app will also donate to women’s education and empowerment through the month of March.
The new Women+ category will give riders the option to select a female driver when hailing a ride on the eCabs app in Malta.For riders, opting for Women+ there will be greater peace of mind, while ETAs and fares will be in line with the eCabs Go category.
Female drivers who opt to participate in Women+ will benefit from a 0% commission rate from 8th to 15th March and a discounted 10% commission for the rest of the month, while carrying out Women+ rides.
Women drivers will also be free to cancel or refuse male riders on Women+ without being penalised.
Set to roll out today Thursday, 7th March, just in time for International Women’s Day, eCabs has also pledged to donate 50 cents from each Women+ ride completed throughout March to the FIDEM Charity Foundation.
Set up in 2018, the FIDEM Foundation provides support and empowerment opportunities to vulnerable people, particularly women, adolescent girls, and children, across Malta and Gozo through life-changing access to education and well-being guidance.
Announcing the new rides category, Andrew Bezzina, Chief Executive Officer of eCabs’ Malta Operation, said the initiative underscores the ride-hailing company’s commitment to promoting safety, peace of mind, and inclusivity across its platform.
“At eCabs we’ve always believed in the importance of encouraging more women to enter this dynamic sector, which is still dominated by men,” he said. “This is why we have decided to launch Women+ and to partner with The FIDEM Foundation – an organisation that lives by the words ‘give a woman a fish and you feed her for a day. Teach a woman to fish and you feed her for a lifetime’.
“We strongly believe in empowering more women to succeed and are thrilled to be partnering with this organisation.” Bezzina added.“It’s time for women to get in the driver’s seat,” he said.“We also believe in offering alternatives for riders who would prefer to choose a female driver. eCabs was set up to build an inclusive and safe ride hailing community and this is another important step in that journey,” Bezzina concluded.
On her part, FIDEM Foundation founder Sabine Agius Cabourdin said she was thrilled to be collaborating with eCabs.”We are honoured that eCabs chose FIDEM Foundation for their Women’s Day fundraising initiative. It means the world to us knowing that we can continue working with vulnerable people who need our help,” she said.“Every cent goes into ensuring that women and adolescent girls can have access to training courses and education that will help them change their lives.” she added.
FIDEM Foundation has helped around 300 women and girls, and sometimes their children too, by covering educational course fees and other costs such as course materials, laptops, uniforms and even transport.“It gives us tremendous satisfaction when we see one of our service users go from homelessness and domestic abuse to graduating from university and thriving in a new career that gives her financial independence. This is how we empower women holistically.” Agius Cabourdin concluded.
Highlights:
- Swift service: With an estimated average ETA in line with the eCabs Go service, the Women+ category promises timely and efficient rides for all users.
- Competitive pricing: The pricing for Women+ rides will also be on par with the eCabs Go category.
- Supporting women empowerment: For every completed Women+ ride, 50 cents will be donated by eCabs to FIDEM, a reputable NGO committed to providing education and well-being guidance to vulnerable women. By choosing Women+, you’re not just getting a ride, you’re helping an important social cause.
- Driver incentives: To encourage participation, there will be a 0% driver commission for the first week on all Women+ rides, followed by a 10% discounted commission until the end of March.
- Safety first: The well-being of eCabs users is our top priority and a task we do not take lightly. That’s why we operate a 24/7 support line and in-app safety features – because we are committed to ensuring a secure environment for all stakeholders.
This article was published on the ecabs website on 7th March 2024 - click here
