Uber expands one of its most discussed and requested features. The ride-sharing platform announced the large-scale rollout of Women Preferences, a feature that allows women to request female drivers during their trips. The service, already tested in some cities, is now available in many areas of the United States, including large cities such as New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC, and continues to be developed in other countries. The company’s stated objective is to offer greater control over the travel experience, responding to the requests of many users and drivers who in recent years have asked for tools to feel more at ease during trips.
How the new option works in the app
The feature is integrated directly into the Uber app and can be used when booking. Passengers can select the “Women Drivers” option, thus requesting to be paired with an available female driver nearby. If waiting times are too long, the user still has the option of choosing another standard trip to get a quicker ride.
In addition to immediate request, the system also allows you to book a ride in advance with a female driver, or set your preference directly in the app settings. In this way the system will try to increase the chances of matching with a female driver, although this is not an absolute guarantee. Drivers can also activate the function: by selecting the preference for female passengers, they will mainly receive travel requests from female users.
A project born from user requests
According to Uber, the feature was developed in response to feedback from women who use the platform. The project has roots in 2019, when women won the right to drive in Saudi Arabia. On that occasion, Uber started the first tests of the system to allow users to choose rides among only women.
Since then the program has progressively expanded. Today, Women Preferences is available to drivers in more than 40 countries, while passengers can use the feature in seven countries, including the United States, Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, Brazil and Spain. According to the company, over 230 million trips have already been made with this system worldwide.
Security and legal controversies
The expansion of the service also comes after years of concerns related to user safety. The platform has received numerous reports of assault and inappropriate sexual behavior in the past, an issue that has prompted the company to invest in new protection measures. Uber says it has spent billions of dollars on safety tools, including reporting systems, real-time assistance and collaborations with other platforms to create databases of drivers removed for bad behavior.
However, the new feature is not without its critics. Two drivers in California have filed a class action lawsuit alleging that the system is discriminatory against men and reinforces the stereotype that male drivers are more dangerous. Uber rejects the accusation and defends the choice, arguing that the function responds to a public interest linked to safety and the requests of millions of users. Meanwhile, the legal case is still ongoing.
You might also be interested in:
