That’s nearly three in four adults across the country feeling this way and if that isn’t a call for change – what is? Freenow by Lyft’s recent survey revealed that more than half (54%) say their ethnicity or sexual orientation directly affects how safe they feel and 70% have stayed out later than planned simply to avoid walking home alone.

It’s time for people to feel secure enough to go out at night without safety concerns. Therefore, to foster a thriving nightlife and city, we must address street safety after dark – but how do we go about this?

Transport is key to people feeling safe at night, with 74% of Londoners saying the availability of safe transport influences whether they stay out or leave early. Nearly half (47%) of people consider black cabs safer than other options, thereby avoiding the possibility of commuting with individuals who may be dangerous or cause discomfort.

Technology and innovation support this. Passengers feel more secure with the ability to book their travel via an app, like Freenow by Lyft, where they can see driver details, a photo of the driver and car before the driver arrives.

In addition, the ability to report hate crimes also makes people and communities feel safer.

Thanks to Stop Hate UK, a UK based charity aimed at tackling hate and discrimination, many Freenow by Lyft taxi drivers are now trained to spot, respond and report safety concerns and discrimination – learning how to best deal with these scenarios involving them or passengers. This not only helps passengers in potentially dangerous scenarios but also helps drivers to protect themselves when faced with hate crimes or discrimination. Riders now also have the option to round up their spend with Freenow by Lyft to donate to Stop Hate UK.

With 85% of people having made up an excuse to not go on a night out because they don’t feel safe, it is clear that public confidence needs to be restored.

Once public confidence is restored and, most importantly, individuals feel safer, people feel confident to go out at night, leading to increased revenue for bars, pubs, restaurants and other late-night businesses. This consumer spending not only benefits individual businesses but also supports the broader economy, for example, by increasing employment opportunities in hospitality and related sectors.

Together with Stop Hate UK we took matters into our own hands and we are equipping taxi drivers with knowledge to detect, handle, and report safety concerns involving themselves or passengers. This initiative directly contributes to making travel safer for everyone.

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Danny O’Gorman is the General Manager at Freenow by Lyft UKI

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