Astara van der Jagt, executive director of Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women (OCTEVAW), says rideshare companies should strengthen accountability measures using community-based approaches whenever safety concerns are raised. Photo by Jean Levac /Postmedia

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When moving around Ottawa, Astara van der Jagt says, it’s very common for women and gender-diverse people to plan their routes primarily around what makes them feel safest.

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That could mean choosing to walk on well-lit streets, even if it adds 10 minutes to a trip. It could mean avoiding or only taking certain routes on public transit.

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Or, particularly after a 36-year-old Ottawa rideshare driver was arrested and charged with sexual assault in late July, it could heighten safety concerns around taking an Uber or a Lyft.

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“One of the things that we talk about is that rideshare services can provide important accessibility and mobility options, but survivors have raised concerns about situations where people might be alone with someone they don’t know, isolated in a vehicle or dependent on another person for transportation and safety,” said van der Jagt, executive director of Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women (OCTEVAW).

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Police announced on July 28 that Mohamed Laarous, who had been known to drive with Uber and Lyft, had been charged with one count of sexual assault. The investigation remained ongoing, as police believed there may be other victims in the Ottawa area.

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“For us as an organization, we know that it takes courage for survivors to come forward, particularly given the different types of barriers many face when they’re seeking support or safety,” van der Jagt said.

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For Ottawa residents like Christina Trinh, transportation safety is top of mind as she travels around the city, particularly at night.

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Even before hearing of the driver charged with sexual assault, Trinh said rideshares had always been a last resort when she was travelling alone, partially due to safety concerns.

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“Just being a woman, you have to be skeptical about that type of stuff sometimes,” she said.

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The recent arrest, she said, affirmed her reasons for being conscious, adding she’d continue to seek alternatives like driving or taking public transit whenever she could.

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“I was disappointed to see that it happened within the Ottawa region, and it made me more concerned about taking a rideshare in the future,” she said.

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On a broader level, conversations around transportation safety for women and gender-diverse people have been ongoing for many years, said Meg Harod, executive and policy director at City for All Women Initiative.

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“Fundamentally it’s about how women’s safety is influencing freedom of mobility, and this is just another story that documents and creates rationale for this level of fear,” Harod said.

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Meg Harod, executive and policy director at City for All Women Initiative, says stories like the Ottawa driver charged with sexual assault create rationale for the level of fear many women experience around transportation safety. Photo by Meg Harod /Handout

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Both advocacy groups said the recent incident reflected a larger societal problem around the need for better education and prevention of sexual violence. Proactive conversations need to start at high levels, Harod said, including at rideshare companies.