Locally Developed App Best Rides Aims To Make Ridesharing Cheaper And Safer

BOSTON (CBS) - For many local college students, Uber and Lyft are their main source of transportation. "A lot of us don't have cars coming into freshman year. You have to use Uber. You really have no other choice," said one student on the Babson College campus.

Now, an app called Best Rides can help students get the best deal by comparing the prices between Uber and Lyft, but it also addresses safety concerns, something that is on the minds of many students one Wellesley campus. "The rule of thumb is to always bring one or two guys because even if it's the right driver, they can always be a bad person," another student said.

Best Rides allows a trusted friend or family member to track your ride. Riders simply upload a photo of the license plate, which can be shared in case of an emergency.

According to Marc Fantasia, head of development for the app, it also gives the rider additional information. "If at any time the driver deviates from the route, the app will notify you and say, 'Hey the driver is going a different way. Is that ok?'"

There's a 911 panic button if something goes wrong, and if a rider becomes incapacitated and fails to respond to prompts, the emergency contacts will be notified.

Lyft and Uber have included a number of similar safety features, but according to Fantasia, Best Rides takes it one step further.

"Best Rides is an app that takes riders' safety out of the hands of Uber and Lyft and puts it back into the hands of riders, their friends and family," he told WBZ-TV.

Students say anything to improve safety is worth a try. "It's something that you are always thinking about, especially if it's all girls, or if you are all alone," one student said.