Uber introduces women-only rides in Greenville

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GREENVILLE, S.C. — Uber has introduced a new feature called Women Preferences in Greenville, giving women drivers, riders, and teen account users the opportunity to be matched with other women for their trips. This addition comes as part of an expanded pilot program that now covers 29 additional cities following positive user feedback.

According to Uber, approximately 75% of female riders have expressed support for the option to be matched with women, which led the company to introduce the feature in the Upstate region. The company claims this feature is intended to provide more choice, comfort, and control for its users.

In a statement, Camiel Irving, Uber’s VP of Operations, emphasized the importance of the feature by saying, “Women Preferences exist because women asked for more control, and we listened. We’re committed to expanding this feature until every woman in America has access, whether she’s riding or driving.”

The initial test markets for this feature included Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit, Phoenix, and Denver. Now that it's available in Greenville, 7NEWS reached out to some ride-share users to gather their opinions on the new option.

Kristlyn Tate shared her thoughts, stating, “I think that having a woman feature obviously has its ups and downs, you know, anything can happen with anyone. But I think having a woman with the woman, I think we can relate more. We can feel more comfortable and safe.”

Another user, Sheena Pudukkui, also supported the idea, noting that the option could enhance safety, especially during late hours.

“Especially late at night, I think it would be nice to have that option, just to feel safe,” she said.

Adult riders can request women-only rides for both on-demand and reserved trips, and they can set the preference within the app settings. However, Uber clarified that this feature does not guarantee a woman driver, but turning it on increases the chances of being matched with one.

Women drivers also have the option to request trips with female riders, even during peak hours.

Kariah Tate commented, “For the drivers, like if you could choose whether you want to pick up a male or a female as well, that would be a good idea.”

Uber mentioned that parents have consistently requested the ability to request a woman driver since the launch of their teen accounts over two years ago. In cities where both teen accounts and women preferences are available, riders can make such requests for on-demand and reserved trips.

The company also highlighted that, on average, 1 in 5 Uber drivers in the U.S. are women. This feature aims to provide riders with more control and choice on the platform.

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