Pregnant women might have an easier time getting seats on public transportation thanks to this app
When we’re on public transportation, it’s easy to zone out because we’re caught up in a good book, or we’re busy texting and answering work emails. But, there’s a major downside to this — it means that we’re often unaware when a pregnant woman or an elderly person — who clearly deserves our seat more than we do — boards the bus or train. That’s why a new app that helps pregnant women get seats on public transportation is so important.
Developed by London-based tech firm 10x, the “Babee on Board” app alerts passengers when a pregnant woman boards the train, and she sends a notification to everyone within a 15-foot radius.
“Babee on Board” uses bluetooth technology — so it works even if you’re underground and don’t have a signal or Wi-Fi.
In order for Babee on Board to be effective, both pregnant women and commuters need to download separate apps — the “Request Seat” app is for pregnant women who want to request a seat, and the “Offer Seat” app is for commuters who want to receive alerts so they can offer up their seats as quickly as possible.
Hew Leith, the CEO of 10x, was inspired to design the app after his own experience on the train.
"A year ago an 80-year-old woman, who was sat next to me on a busy Tube, got up and offered her seat to a heavily pregnant woman. I was mortified. I was too engrossed on my smartphone to notice anything," he told Mashable. "So as soon as I let the older woman have my seat, I began racking my brains for a solution. By the time the Tube train pulled into the platform at Moorgate, I had the idea to use beacon Bluetooth notifications so pregnant people could let commuters know they’d like a seat."
The app is currently only available in London, but there are plans to roll it out worldwide. So, if you’ve ever been mortified that you were too busy staring at your phone to notice the pregnant woman who deserves your seat (and, let’s be honest — this has happened to many of us), you’ll definitely want to download Babee on Board as soon as it’s available in America.
