New rideshare app with women drivers launches in Amsterdam
4kclips / Shutterstock.com
By Simone Jacobs
Women-owned rideshare app Diva Ride has launched in the city of Amsterdam, allowing users to request a woman taxi driver.
Diva Ride offers users option for women taxi drivers
While working as a taxi driver in the Netherlands, Marcha van Glaanen Weygel heard several female passengers say that they were happy to have a woman driving them, as they often had negative experiences with male drivers. "They were asked for their phone number, either after the ride or during it. They were asked if they were married or if they had a boyfriend," Van Glaanen Weygel told AT5.
This gave her the idea to start the rideshare app Diva Ride, which allows users to choose a woman driver. "I'm certainly not anti-men, but I just want women to have a safe ride," Van Glaanen Weygel told Het Parool, emphasising that the app is available for men and women.
Rideshare app with female drivers in Amsterdam
At the time of writing, the app is only available in Amsterdam, as there are currently only six taxi drivers. Van Glaanen Weygel is still looking for more women drivers to join the team. The plan is to expand the app to Rotterdam later this year, to Utrecht in 2026 and eventually throughout the country.
With several prominent violent incidents of men targeting women occurring in the Netherlands in the past few months, many women have been feeling even less safe than usual. This is why Van Glaanen Weygel decided to launch the app now. "We live in a time when crazy things happen. That's why this initiative is essential, especially now," she explained. Amsterdam recently announced that it is investing 6 million euros to make the city safer for women, and the government is considering legalising pepper spray.
Women have responded positively when hearing about Diva Ride. "I'd like that idea. Because men aren't really trustworthy. At least not the ones in some taxis," one respondent told AT5. “Especially late at night, I would do it. For the added sense of security, I think," said another.
Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Editor for the Netherlands at IamExpat Media. Simone studied Genetics and Zoology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa before moving to the Netherlands, where she has been working as a writer and editor since 2022. One thing she loves more than creating content is consuming it, mainly by reading books by the dozen. Other than being a book dragon, she is also a nature lover and enjoys hiking and animal training. Read more