eCabs on Thursday 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 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 the 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 on 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. 

The new Women+ option featured on the eCabs app

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.