Safer rides for women

Marie-Louise Pawsey is happy to provide safe travel to women in the Northwest through Shebah. (Supplied)

Elsie Lange

Just getting a cab or rideshare home from the train station after work can be difficult in outer metropolitan and regional areas.

This can be made even more stressful if you’re a woman, anxious about your safety in the car of a stranger.

That’s where Marie-Louise Pawsey comes in, she’s a rideshare driver using the Shebah app to provide safe passage to women.

Ms Pawsey lives in Glenroy, but travels all across the north western suburbs to get people from A to B.

“The feedback I’m getting is that [passengers] don’t want to be in a car with a man, if they can avoid it,” Ms Pawsey said.

“I feel like in the country, it’s even more reason to want to be safer, it’s a bit remote.”

Shebah is an all-woman rideshare app launched in 2017, with a mission to help women and children using the platform to feel secure in the knowledge they are safe – drivers need a working with children check too.

Ms Pawsey said she’s one of just a few Shebah drivers in the northwest, and it seems people really appreciate what she does.

“Given that I’m reaching out to Sunbury, I feel like I’m providing a service that otherwise isn’t being provided,” Ms Pawsey said.

“The message is clear from a lot of the women I pick up, no matter where they are, they’re just so grateful to have Shebah.”

She said the women she drives have told her they feel like they are “driving with a friend”.

“It’s about us being safe and comfortable,” Ms Pawsey said.