UBER is making its own all-girls club.
In an effort to give riders and drivers more choice, the app is adding new toggles that gives women a higher chance of being paired together for rides.
The feature is expected to pilot in the next few weeks[/caption]
Both women drivers and riders will now be able to choose each other when picking rides[/caption]
The ride-sharing company will be adding the feature to its U.S. app for the first time.
“When we make our platform better for women, we make it better for everyone,” Camiel Irving, the company’s U.S. and Canada vice president of operations, said.
“After hearing from women riders and drivers around the world, it was clear: Many want the option to match with other women.”
The option, called Women Preferences, will be rolled out in three metro areas as a pilot.
Detroit, San Francisco, and Los Angeles users will all have the ability to try it out in the coming weeks.
“We’re proud to pilot Women Preferences in the U.S. for the first time,” Irving said.
“It’s about giving women more choice, more control, and more comfort when they ride and drive.”
The option works for both riders and drivers.
How to use women preferences on Uber
When booking an on-demand trip, women riders should see an option called women drivers.
Women drivers can also be booked in advance, or set as a preference in settings.
When the women preference is on, the chances increase for being picked by a woman driver.
Uber is also expanding the option for drivers, giving workers the opportunity to turn on higher chances of being matched with a woman rider.
The feature began in Saudi Arabia in 2019 after a law was passed allowing women to drive in the country.
Fast forward to now, the preference has been offered in 40 countries, and has completed over 100 million rides, according to Uber.
“Making this work reliably—not just symbolically—required thoughtful design.”
What other locations have had Uber’s women preferences?
The feature has been tested in 40 countries since its inception, with the U.S. coming up next on the list. Here are some of the other places where the option is offered:
“Most drivers are men, so we’ve worked to ensure this feature was truly usable in different places around the world,” the statement continued.
“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.
Senior accounts
In June, the company launched senior accounts to simplify the process for elderly people and their families.
“Senior accounts and Simple mode represent an important milestone in Uber’s ongoing commitment to accessible transportation,” Ashu Manohar, Uber’s Director of Product Management, said at the time.
The feature allows seniors to book ride themselves or have help from others with a simpler interface.
It also allows relatives to monitor rides as they’re happening.
“These features reflect our dedication to designing technology that meets people where they are and supports mobility at every stage of life,” Manohar said.
Other countries the feature has been tested in include Australia and Brazil[/caption]
