LadyCab: Ireland’s First Women-Focused Taxi Service Is Here

LadyCab, Ireland’s first ever women-centred taxi service has launched this month, giving women in Dublin the option of a female driver and a number of safety features to ensure that they feel comfortable getting taxi rides, which unfortunately is a right that is denied to a lot of women when they get into a cab. 

Taxi driver and founder Emanuela Negura decided to launch the app after she was violently attacked by a male passenger who tried to force his way into the car, grabbing her neck and punching her in the process. Emanuela told RTÉ that although this attack was witnessed by other taxis surrounding them, nobody stepped in to help her. She said she felt that something had to be done about the lack of support for female taxi drivers and passengers. 

The decision to create this service also came from conversations she heard from female passengers in her own taxi. Many women don’t feel comfortable or safe getting into a taxi today because they are worried about their safety, and rightly so.

Thousands of female passengers have been subject to inappropriate remarks, physical and sexual assault. Many women feel that most taxi services don’t take the necessary precautions to prevent attacks like these against women.

LadyCab has plans to expand across the country in the new year, but it’s currently focused on Dublin, a city where many women do not feel safe at night. Emanuela told RTÉ that some women “avoid coming to Dublin” and “don’t feel comfortable going out” in the city because of concerns for their safety. 

LadyCab’s tagline is ‘every woman deserves to get home safe’, and they’ve included a range of features on their app to ensure this. These include GPS tracking, shareable emergency contacts, an emergency alert option and more. 

The service is also dedicated to helping female taxi drivers feel safe in their jobs too. Female drivers are subject to violence and aggression on late night drives, and this app hopes to let them do their jobs without putting themselves at risk.

Since launching the app and posting on TikTok, Emanuela has received messages from hundreds of women praising her for the great idea and explaining how necessary it feels in today’s world. 

Emanuela stated that, “In 2025, not feeling comfortable to go out in your own town is just unacceptable. I just think we deserve better.”

And she’s right. Hopefully this service allows women in Dublin, and eventually across the country, to end their night out, or their shift, on a good note, and not have to worry about whether or not they’ll get home safe.