Shebah: The female-only ride-hailing service giving Uber a run for its money

A FEMALE-only ride-hailing service pioneered by single Melbourne mum and comedian George McEncroe is winning new fans as it expands across the country.

A YEAR after she launched her all-female ride-hailing business, Aussie comedian turned entrepreneur George McEncroe is expanding its footprint.

The single mother of four came up with Shebah as a ­solution to her own challenges in getting her daughter where she ­needed to be.

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Having created a service that almost resembles daycare on wheels, McEncroe said she was heartened by the community that had sprung up around Shebah and its role in empowering women and ­families.

Regulars include siblings who use the service to get to soccer training.

“That means their mother can stay at work while they are safely taken to soccer,” McEncroe said.

George McEncroe’s all-female ride-hailing business, Shebah, is expanding as its marks its first birthday.

“We have a lot of mums who have been able to take on full-time work because Shebah can manage the children.”

McEncroe said she had been happy to use existing services but could not be guaranteed the peace of mind of a female driver being dispatched.

A year before Shebah’s launch on last year’s ­International Women’s Day, McEncroe began funding the business with a crowd-funding campaign, itself launched on Mother’s Day.

The business started in Melbourne and also operates in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and some large regional centres.

It is now expanding to take in Canberra, Hobart, Darwin and Adelaide.

Well known for comedy gigs, radio and MC-ing, ­McEncroe said the business model provided services for women and children and ­flexible employment opportunities for women.

She said that unlike some models, 85 per cent of the travel cost went to the driver and there was no surge prices — where prices spike at times of peak demand.

US chauffeur service Uber, which has expanded into Australia and around the world, has attracted the ire of its customers for charging extreme prices during times of high demand.

Better known as a comedian, George McEncroe, pictured with Joel Creasey, is behind women’s ride-hailing business Shebah.

“Since our launch in March 2017, we’ve completed over 15,000 trips and have over 800 active drivers on the road,” McEncroe said.

Males up to 18 years can ride in Shebah provided they are accompanied by a female guardian.

Drivers have to be a minimum of 21 years, be able to speak English “comfortably and confidently”, have access to a car with a minimum of four doors and a Working with Children permit valid for paid work.

McEncroe said Shebah had not only given families freedom but also provided work for women.

She said drivers were drawn from a wide circle including ­retirees looking to cover living expenses, suburban mothers, people working in their own small businesses wanting to supplement their income and mums with babies who can accompany them in the back seat.

McEncroe said the development of the Shebah app had taken a long time but it was highly scalable.

Regulatory ­requirements to report to ­various government agencies meant a back end was needed that could be adaptable.

She said the business was still in development with plans to expand to New Zealand.

“I have been working 120 hours but I am trying to cut back. It’s like a baby. It’s not yet on solids, is still waking three times a night and just learning to walk.”