Ride-hailing company Beat hopes its dedicated safety team and linked accounts service will make its service attractive to women in Mexico’s capital.

In 2019, Uber will face a new competitor in Mexico City. Beat, which already operates in a number of Latin American cities, hopes their emphasis on safety will give them a competitive advantage. "Apart from Beat's dedicated safety team watching rides in progress, passengers can send a link to up to three of their iPhone contacts so that those friends and family members can monitor their movement and ensure they safely arrive at their planned destination," Julie Walmsley reports in Forbes.
The Beat application can only be used by credit card holders but, verified customers will be able to pay with cash. The company, which started in Greece, hopes those who can afford it will pay what Beat has positioned as a safer alternative to other transit options. "That experience includes an emergency report button in the customer-facing app. Any customer report goes directly to authorities and to Beat's safety division," Walsely writes.
FULL STORY: Beat Wants To Broadside Uber In Mexico With Women-Friendly Safety Features

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure
If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.
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