Uber is introducing a new feature designed to enhance safety and comfort for women using its platform.
Starting next month, the company will pilot a tool in select U.S. cities that allows women riders to opt for female drivers when booking or pre-booking a trip.
The feature, which also allows women drivers to choose to be matched only with female passengers, will first be tested in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit. Users can set the preference within the app, although Uber cautions that matches based on gender are not guaranteed.
“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.
The move follows similar efforts by Uber internationally. In 2019, the company launched a women-rider preference tool in Saudi Arabia following the legal right of women to drive. That feature has since expanded to roughly 40 countries. Uber has also tested the new gender-based matching tool in France, Germany, and Argentina.
The rollout comes as ride-hailing platforms continue to face scrutiny over passenger safety, particularly in cases of sexual assault and harassment. In recent years, Uber has implemented safety enhancements such as teen rider accounts, rider PIN verification, and improved driver screening.
Rival company Lyft introduced a similar feature in late 2023, allowing women and nonbinary riders and drivers to opt to be paired with one another.
