CLEVELAND — For those who use rideshare apps, specifically Uber, the company is making a major change aimed at helping women feel more comfortable when requesting or giving rides.
In Cleveland, starting this week, any Uber woman rider or driver can request to be matched with another woman.
Riders and drivers will be able to use the feature in three ways through the app:
1. Set a preference in your settings: While it doesn’t guarantee a match, choosing a preference for women drivers increases your chances of being paired with a woman.
2. Request on demand: When ordering a trip, select the option called “Women Drivers.”
3. Reserve in advance: You can also pre-book your trip with a woman driver.
Uber says it first developed the feature in Saudi Arabia and quickly saw that riders in other countries would benefit from it too.
“We first started building the ability for drivers to request women riders back in 2019 in Saudi Arabia, when women first gained the right to drive, and since then, we've expanded that preference for drivers to over 40 countries,” said Austen Radcliff, an Uber spokesperson.
Radcliff says this rollout is all about helping riders feel more comfortable and in control.
“It's really just that we've continued to hear from women that this is exactly what they've been asking for. It gives them that choice, that control and that certainty when they're riding and driving, that they can request women to drive with them, and so it's really just been a lot of positive feedback where we have been rolling this out, and we're really excited to hear what women in Cleveland have to say and how they use this,” said Radcliff.
Teens will also be able to use the feature. It’s not available in every state just yet, but Cleveland is one of 26 cities that already have this option.
