Women for women – Uber launches new solution for female drivers

In response to the need to order rides with and for women, the company has launched a program to encourage female drivers to join the platform. Starting in July, female drivers can choose to receive orders exclusively from women.

In Romania alone, more than 5,000 rides have already been made using this service, and several hundred new female drivers have joined the platform in that time.

The safety of users – passengers and drivers who work with the platform, both men and women – is of utmost importance to Uber. The company is constantly introducing additional features and procedures to improve the safety of rides, conducting educational activities, and encouraging the reporting of any untoward incidents.

Freedom of choice for female drivers
Based on conversations with female drivers, Uber has introduced a product that allows them to accept rides exclusively from women riders. This option can be turned on at will (e.g., at night) and off as needed.

Read more about

Uber celebrates 9 years in Romania. Trips with Uber reached 826 million kilometers

read more

The “women riders preference” product focuses on connecting female drivers with female passengers, so if a ride is ordered by a woman for someone else, the female driver may refuse the service.

Comfort for everyone
The implementation of the new feature is one of many measures aimed at increasing the number of female drivers cooperating with the platform and reducing the gender disparity behind the wheel. Data from DRPCIV in 2020 showed that one third of Romanian drivers are women, but the share of female drivers on the platform does not exceed 3.6 percent. Among passengers, the number of women and men is proportional.

The number of female drivers for the platform is considerably lower than for male drivers. The launch is the first step in the direction to change this and thus providing a more comfortable travel experience for both parties – both female passengers and drivers, says Iwona Kruk, a spokeswoman for Uber.

The pilot version of the product was already launched four years ago in Saudi Arabia and has been very popular. In Central and Eastern Europe, the option of choosing female passengers is available to drivers in Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania.

The product was implemented in July and has since been eagerly tested by female drivers. In Romania, more than 5,000 trips have already been made thanks to the feature.

More than just a ride

Ride safety is a top priority for Uber. Rides offered through Uber are provided by licensed partners who must meet several requirements to join the platform.

Since the beginning of its operation in Romania, the company has raised the bar in safety for the entire industry. A few years ago, Uber was the first platform on the market to introduce a real-time driver verification system, and as the only platform to have a special, dedicated team for cooperation with law enforcement and public health authorities – LERT, composed of former officers of uniformed services. In addition, at the Uber Security Center in Krakow, a team of specialists receives and resolves reports of passengers and drivers regarding security incidents 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In addition, the app offers passengers many safety features, including:

1. Check My Ride: Even before the vehicle arrives, passengers always know the driver’s details, such as name, car model and license plate number, and each ride is monitored by GPS. Before each trip, Uber reminds you to check that the app data matches.
2. Share your ride with trusted contacts: this feature allows you to share the route of your ride with up to 5 people, from a list of so-called Trusted Contacts. This way, close contacts always know where you are and have data on the vehicle you are driving.
3. Ride Check: Thanks to GPS data, each ride through the Uber platform is also monitored by the Ride Check feature. During an unexpected stop, the app contacts the passenger to make sure a break is planned. In the event of an unexpected situation, the app directs users to a special menu and allows them to quickly contact emergency services or Support.
4. Emergency Button: During each ride, users have constant access to all functions in the Safety Center. By pressing the dial button, users can share their ride, review safety procedures, and contact 112 if necessary. The app will automatically send vehicle and location data to the on-duty officer.
5. Community Guidelines: To ensure proper interaction during journeys, the company has created the Uber Community Guidelines. It is a set of rules intended for all users of the platform, which obliges them to respect each other, care for safety and comply with the law.

For more details on the security features available in the app, visit uber.com.