Nisian Hughes | Getty Images
Uber announced a new feature Wednesday that pairs women drivers and riders, in its latest move to address safety on the ride-hailing platform.
The new tool, which the platform will begin piloting next month in the U.S., allows women passengers to match with women drivers when booking or pre-booking rides, and create a preference in their app settings. Women drivers can also choose to drive women.
“It’s about giving women more choice, more control, and more comfort when they ride and drive,” said Camiel Irving, Uber’s vice president of U.S. and Canada operations, in a release.
The company said it isn’t guaranteed that riders will get their preference, but the feature increases the chances women will be paired in the app.
Uber will pilot the program in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Detroit. The company also said it tested the feature in countries such as France, Germany and Argentina.
This isn’t Uber’s first foray into gender preferences on its platform.
In 2019, Uber rolled out a women rider preference feature for female drivers in Saudi Arabia after women won the right to drive in 2018. That offering later expanded to about 40 countries.
Over the years, ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft have faced a myriad of safety concerns and questions over the roles these platforms have played in various sexual assault and harassment incidents.