‘When I heard about what Fleet wanted to do I just felt a huge sense of relief, like the constant background worry that I carry around with me all the time, especially when the nights are long, just lifted’
- workshop participant, April 2024
The UK is renowned for it's great nights out. Whether it’s gigs, shows, stand up, open mics or just a few drinks down the pub, we have a long history of what makes a brilliant evening out with mates.
But when it comes to getting home at night (after 9pm), it's a very different story.
Not only is this reality bad news for society and how we all want to live, but it’s also pretty bad news for business. A recent study revealed that women spend about 50% of their disposable income on eating and drinking out - and if we’re too scared to stay out, we’re too scared to spend.
And women have good reason to feel this way - this year (2024), violence against women and girls has been declared a national emergency - with headlines and reports providing shocking statistics that can no longer go ignored.
The positive thing is that the world is waking up to the fact that this is a problem that everyone needs to solve. As a nation, we all have our part to play in tackling a problem that is having a major impact on our cities, towns and communities
How do we get women home safely?
At Fleet, we believe that everyone deserves to get home safe.
Our mission is to provide safe, shared, night-time travel that makes a great night out even better, by getting people home safe..
Developed by a team of experts across technology, transport, sustainability, behavioural change and community innovation and development, Fleet is an app, a transport company, and a new way for people to get home at night safely and sustainably without costing a fortune. We blend the best of private hire with public transport, available at your fingertips!
Where we are currently
In November 2023, Fleet was awarded a grant from Innovate UK to research and design a transport service and accompanying mobile app to tackle this problem. Over six months, we conducted rigorous user and community research and user testing of concepts to develop the product.
Where we are heading
The next phase of Fleet is to take everything we’ve learnt, tested and designed and make this idea a reality, starting in Sheffield.
- We will complete and launch our mobile app across Apple and Android platforms
- We will get wheels on the ground - initially two vehicles (fitted with CCTV), with drivers, providing an affordable, efficient and fully accountable night-time transport service.
- We will invest in specifically designed driver training and vetting - ensuring that all of our drivers are experts in providing a safe environment for everyone
- We will continuously work to better our safety features - championing safety in night-time transport across Sheffield and beyond
What we’re looking for
This November we are opening our new Crowdfunding campaign, with the aim of raising £300,000 to get our Sheffield Fleet programme off the ground.