(Photo: Technion Spokesperson's Office)
By Brian Blum - March 12, 2019
One of the most significant barriers to integration of Arab-Israeli women into the job market, as well as greater involvement in the public arena, is transportation. Bus service from Arab villages in the north of Israel is sporadic at best.
Catching a ride with a stranger is also a non-starter. A survey conducted by researchers at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology with 117 women from 10 communities in the northern part of the country found that most participants said that, for personal security concerns, they would only feel comfortable traveling with drivers with whom they are familiar.
To address both these concerns, the Technion’s Transportation Research Institute and Kayan, a feminist nonprofit organization, have developed Safarcon (Arabic for “your travels”), a new ridesharing application built specifically for women in the Arab-Israeli sector. Safarcon has the support of the Office of the Chief Scientist at the Ministry of Transportation.
The Arabic-language Safarcon is free to users; it connects drivers with passengers who need to reach the same destination.
Read More: Israel21c