Uber announced it is rolling out a new feature that will allow women to request women-only drivers. It sounds like discrimination against males, but Uber calls it a new safety feature.
The company confirmed the new feature on its website under “women preferences.” The new feature begins in August.
Female riders will be able to request women-only drivers. Women drivers will be able to request same-gender riders.
According to Uber, the goal is to improve safety for women on the rideshare platform.
The feature was tested in several markets first and will roll out to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit.
Uber first launched the “Women Rider Preference” in 2019 when Saudi Arabia gave women the right to drive. Since then, Uber has rolled out the safety measure to 40 countries.
Camiel Irving, Uber’s vice president of operations, U.S. and Canada, said in a statement, “It’s about giving women more choice, more control, and more comfort when they ride and drive.”
