Daijiworld Media Network – San Francisco

San Francisco, Mar 10: Uber has introduced a new feature across the United States that allows women riders and drivers to be matched with other women, expanding a pilot programme aimed at improving safety on its ride-hailing platform.

The feature, called “Women Drivers,” enables female passengers to request a ride with a woman driver directly through the app. Users can also set a preference for female drivers in their account settings, increasing the chances of being matched with a woman, although it does not guarantee it. Riders can choose another ride option if the waiting time for a woman driver is too long, and they can also reserve trips with female drivers in advance.

Women drivers on the platform can similarly choose to accept ride requests primarily from female riders, though they retain the option to switch off the preference at any time. Teen account holders are also permitted to request rides from women drivers.

According to Uber, about one-fifth of its drivers in the US are women, though the proportion varies depending on the city.

The nationwide rollout comes even as the company faces a class-action lawsuit in California filed by two drivers who claim the policy discriminates against men. The lawsuit argues that the feature could give female drivers access to a larger pool of passengers and violates the state’s anti-discrimination law known as the Unruh Civil Rights Act.

Uber has sought to move the case to arbitration, stating that the feature is designed to address safety concerns and serves a legitimate public policy interest.

Legal experts say the companies may have a strong defence if the feature can be shown to improve rider safety. Ann Olivarius, co-founder of the law firm McAllister Olivarius, said such measures could be justified as a business necessity aimed at reducing the risk of sexual assault.

Uber first tested the “Women Preferences” option last summer in cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles and Detroit before expanding it to 26 US cities in November. A version of the feature was initially launched in Saudi Arabia in 2019 following the country’s decision to allow women to drive.

The company now offers similar options in more than 40 countries, including Canada and Mexico.

Both Uber and rival ride-hailing company Lyft have faced thousands of reports of sexual assault involving passengers and drivers over the years. In February, a federal jury held Uber responsible in a 2023 assault case and ordered the company to pay $8.5 million to a woman in Arizona.

Uber says it has implemented multiple safety measures, including joining Lyft in 2021 to create a shared database of drivers removed from the platforms over allegations of sexual assault and other serious misconduct.

The company hopes the new feature will encourage more women to join its driver network and has launched a promotional campaign featuring athletes such as Alex Morgan and Jordan Chiles.