Uber riders in Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas-Fort Worth, along with 23 other cities across the US, now have the option to request women-only drivers. (Diego Thomazini/Shutterstock)
A new system feature from Uber is showing mixed responses as the driving app rolls out a pilot program in Texas cities.
Uber riders in Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas-Fort Worth, along with 23 other cities across the US, now have the option to request women-only drivers and make it a standard preference within the app. Women drivers now also have the option to only receive ride requests from other women. Uber has also stated plans to eventually expand these options across the country.
“When we began piloting Women Preferences in a few cities this summer, the goal was simple: give women more choice in how they ride and drive,” Uber’s website states. “Since then, many riders and drivers have told us it gives them more comfort and confidence on every trip.”
The latest Uber safety report from 2022 showed that from 2017-2022, there were 12,522 sexual assault incidents reported by drivers and riders alike. 31% of incidents were against riders, while 66% were against drivers.
While many responses to the program have been positive, with one Houston Reddit user saying as a male driver he fully supports the decision and that the program is needed, other male drivers have criticized the program as discriminatory.
A lawsuit launched in California is suing Uber and Lyft, saying that the policy limits economic opportunities for men and that it discriminates against their gender. The plantiff’s lawyers tell TIME that the drivers “are discriminated against and receive fewer and different rides than they otherwise would absent the policy,” and that the policy “reinforces the gender stereotype that men are more dangerous than women.”
There has also been the noted challenge that only one in five drivers for Uber are women, leading to longer wait times for riders wanting to be matched with women drivers. The app does allow riders to switch to the next available driver, if the wait is taking too long.
