A NEW rideshare service that’s popular online quietly stopped its operations last week after questions were raised about permits.
The rideshare company BlackWolf has videos on TikTok featuring gun-toting drivers.
“Ride-hail app prioritizing rider safety and protection,” the business (@blackwolfapp) states in its bio.
The business’ TikTok account has over 400,000 followers.
BlackWolf announced that it brought its services to Phoenix last Thursday on social media.
The company connects its riders with armed drivers who also have police, military, or security backgrounds, Axios reported.
The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) was asked if the company had the state permit that’s required for rideshare companies before it stopped letting residents book rides.
It wasn’t long after the ADOT inquiry that BlackWolf stopped allowing customers to book rides only one day after it announced Arizona service.
The founder of the company, Kerry KingBrown, said there was a delay in ADOT receiving the information needed for permits, according to Axios.
KingBrown told The U.S. Sun exclusively that BlackWolf has “been approved by the state of Arizona” as of Thursday, June 13.
He explained that the business has one necessary license and “completed the AZDOT application and is awaiting approval.”
“They’ve been working with us very closely and helping move the needle forward,” KingBrown said.
“We did not operate in Arizona illegally, we halted our opening once communications from AZDOT requested we had all paperwork approved,
“AZDOT has emailed us today signifying they’ve received the application with the necessary document.”
The car service was originally launched in Atlanta, Georgia.
The founder of the rideshare app ran into legal problems last year in the state.
A judge ruled that KingBrown had marketed BlackWolf as a private security company without the proper licensing.
He stressed that the court order applied only to his private security company.
What is BlackWolf?
BlackWolf was founded last year in Atlanta Georgia
It is an app-based car service that claims to prioritize rider safety and protection.
- The drivers carry guns while chauffeuring customers.
- They must have at least four years of policing, military or private security experience.
- Drivers for the service also have to be CPR-certified.
Founder Kerry KingBrown “was speaking to a friend who told him how she was sex trafficked” when he came to the conclusion that something needed to be done when it comes to transportation to better protect women.
The company’s mission is to “redefine ride-hailing by providing unmatched safety and professionalism, leveraging drivers with experience in law enforcement, the military, and security sectors.”
The BlackWolf founder said the app has never stopped operating in Georgia.
He was a professional bodyguard for celebrities and politicians at the time.
Each of BlackWolf’s drivers must be CPR-certified.
“We want to take the pressure off of you,” KingBrown has stated.
“Take the liability off of you as the rider. I’m not gonna listen to anybody that’s gonna say it’s not gonna work because it is working.”