Uber Expands Safety Feature in South Florida That Lets Women Riders Match With Women Drivers
Uber has rolled out an innovative safety feature in South Florida aimed at empowering women passengers and drivers to a greater extent regarding their selection on the app. The feature, called Women Preferences, allows women to request a trip and be matched with a female driver.
Uber’s implementation of this feature in Miami and its adjacent counties is a step towards the implementation of the company’s pilot program that aims to solve the longstanding safety issues on the platform. The firm has been in the spotlight due to incidents involving female riders and drivers and has decided that this new alternative is part of a technical revolution that is going to be more secure and comfortable for women.
With the Women Preferences option, riders can select a preference for females when requesting a ride. The riders can also schedule a trip in advance with this preference, which gives them a more accurate idea of who will be the driver they will be matched with.
According to the program, women drivers can also request to drive only female passengers, including during peak hours such as evenings and weekends. In addition, minors using the service are now permitted to take advantage of this new preference option as well.
Uber Vice President of Operations, Camiel Irving, stated that the company is dedicated to enhancing the feature until it becomes available all over the country for the women riders as well as the women drivers. Participants residing in South Florida have reported a favorable experience with the feature, claiming that it gives them an additional feeling of safety when using rideshare services.
The company is hoping that allowing women to decide their own riding partner will give more women the feeling of being safe and confident using Uber, that is during nights out or when public transportation is not an option.
Uber has made safety a priority during the past years, implementing various tools, such as in-app emergencies, and collaborating with advocacy organizations to prevent gender-based violence. The Women Preferences function is a product of that effort, as the riders and drivers only have to make a simple choice in the app.
Authorities have informed us that the new function is optional, and the riders, who do not express a preference, will be assigned a driver as per the regular procedure. Although the company has not yet made public the exact statistics regarding the impact of the initiative in South Florida, it intends to keep a close watch on the usage and feedback as it broadens its scope.
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