With you there, but a huge challenge to make work in car-dependent suburbs. Best IMO would be to pay a living wage, so workers can afford reliable cars or all the Waymo rides they need.

If someone's car breaks down at the last minute or they need a ride right now, and the app sends them a bus ticket, then they may show up in about 2+ hours. That is not great for a shift that needs filling.

Currently since I am qualified for the Paratransit/Dial-a-Ride in my region, the transit operator has developed a new app that matches riders with all kinds of ride-share services, including Lyft and Uber. These Lyft/Uber/whatever rides cost $3 flat for each trip, up to 20 trips per month, with a generous maximum mileage. Taking the bus would literally cost more than that.

So, I like this app a lot, and I like that it's been a solution for at least one business. Obviously, the solution was not "an app" in itself, but a safety net wrapped around various goods and services that could be deployed (and gate-kept) conveniently through the tech of the app. I hope that Escalate gets a wide audience and enjoys increased usage. It could be helpful to all sorts of employers where their workers are at-risk of getting lost along the way.