Uber Pilots Female Driver Preference in US Cities

Uber is launching a new feature in select U.S. cities allowing female passengers to request female drivers, aiming to enhance safety amid ongoing concerns about sexual assault on ride-hailing platforms. The feature, called Women Preferences, will debut in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit, allowing women to either request female drivers or pre-book rides exclusively with them, while female drivers can also prioritize female passengers. This initiative follows successful rollouts in over 40 countries and joins other platforms like Lyft and HERide that already provide women-only ride options. Despite the feature's potential to improve safety, Uber acknowledges possible longer wait times due to a predominantly male driver base, offering riders the option to wait, book ahead, or choose any available driver. HERide, a women-founded rideshare startup, similarly focuses on creating safer, more inclusive rides by centering women drivers and addressing normalized fears among female passengers. These developments reflect a broader push within the rideshare industry to address safety concerns and provide women riders with more control and comfort during their trips.