Uber Expands This Safety Feature for Women Riders in 30+ Cities

"The company debuted the feature with a pilot in Detroit, Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco. Starting today, the company will expand the feature to Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Sacramento, Nashville, and 21 additional cities. "Across the U.S., Women Preferences has been a top request," an Uber spokesperson shared with Travel + Leisure. "In fact, about 75 percent of women riders say they support an option to match with women drivers- and we're listening.""

"Women passengers are provided the option to book women drivers both on-demand, or in advance. The company says that scheduling a ride with a woman driver provides "more planning and certainty." Uber spotlights the Women Preferences feature on their women's safety website, and explains that approximately 20 percent of their drivers are women, and that all rides have "checks and safeguards" to "build safe communities.""

Uber expanded Women Preferences from a five-city pilot to 26 additional U.S. cities, letting women riders request or schedule rides with women drivers. The pilot ran in Detroit, Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco. An Uber spokesperson said about 75 percent of women riders support matching with women drivers. Uber reports roughly 20 percent of drivers are women and says rides include checks and safeguards to build safe communities. The program now includes teen accounts. Lyft and other companies offer similar women-focused matching. The New York Times reported 400,181 reports of sexual assault or misconduct linked to Uber rides from 2017 to 2022.

Read at Travel + Leisure