Uber is launching a new program in the U.S. that will allow female drivers and riders choose to only be paired with other women.
The ride-hailing company announced Wednesday that the new feature — called Women Preferences — is designed to give women more choice, confidence, and flexibility when they use Uber. The pilot program is set to roll out in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit in the next few weeks.
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"Most drivers are men, so we’ve worked to ensure this feature was truly usable in different places around the world," said Camiel Irving, Uber Vice President of Operations for the U.S. and Canada. "We tested, listened, and refined it in markets like Germany and France, adapting the feature to real-world rider and driver behaviors. As a result, in a first for the industry, we’re able to launch more reliable features that offer women riders multiple ways to be matched with a woman driver."
When requesting a trip, Uber said riders will have an option in the app to request a female driver. However, if the wait time to connect them to a driver is longer than anticipated, they will still be able to opt for another ride with faster pickup. Uber said that turning on the women preference is also not guaranteed to pair you with a female driver, but it does increase your chances of being matched with one.
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As for women drivers, they will soon have an option to request trips with only female riders, including during peak times. They will still have the option to receive trip requests from all riders and can turn that preference on or off at any time in the app.
"Across the US, women riders and drivers have told us they want the option to be matched with other women on trips," Irving said. "We’ve heard them—and now we’re introducing new ways to give them even more control over how they ride and drive."
