By Natalie Lung, Bloomberg
Uber Technologies Inc. said that a feature designed to match female riders and drivers will be available nationwide, expanding access to a safety measure as it seeks to resolve thousands of sexual assault complaints from passengers in the US.
The option will be available in markets like New York, Philadelphia and DC, following a pilot and subsequent launches in more than two dozen other US cities last year, the company said in a statement Monday. Riders will see a new on-demand booking option called “Women Drivers” alongside the existing UberX, Comfort, UberXL and Black offerings. Customers can reserve such a trip in advance, or set their preference in the app settings to increase the likelihood of being matched with a woman. The feature is also offered in cities where teen accounts are available.
The move comes as Uber is fighting thousands of pending legal cases in the US that question if the company is responsible for the misconduct of drivers, who are classified as contractors rather than employees. In February, a jury returned a verdict that found Uber liable for not preventing an alleged sexual assault of a female passenger, who claimed that she was raped by her driver in Arizona in 2023. The company was ordered to pay $8.5 million in damages, raising its risk of a costly settlement to resolve other cases. It prevailed in a similar case last year in California state court.
Uber already offers a woman-matching option to riders in six other countries, including Germany and France. It is also available to drivers in more than 40 countries. Rival Lyft Inc. made a similar feature for women and nonbinary riders and drivers available nationwide in 2024.
While 1 in 5 Uber drivers in the US are women, there is no guarantee of a match because the gender ratio among drivers varies widely. In New York, for example, 94% of taxi and ride-hail drivers are male, according to recent data from the city’s taxi regulator. That means passengers could potentially experience longer wait times if they wish to request a woman driver on-demand. Users can always opt for another ride with a faster pickup or reserve a trip with a female driver in advance, the company said.
“Since our first pilots last summer, we’ve heard just how much that choice matters — from feeling more comfortable in the back seat to more confident behind the wheel,” the company said in a statement. A spokesperson added that “average ETAs for women-only riders aren’t very different from UberX rides, especially in urban areas where demand for rides and driver availability is consistent.”
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