As more female residents in South Africa call for safer e-hailing access, Uber has launched ‘Women Drivers’ — a new ride-type product that offers women riders the option to select female-only drivers upon booking their trip.
“Safety is top of mind for many women when they travel. With Women Drivers, we’re giving them the power of choice — the option to select a female driver,” said Uber’s Sub-Saharan Africa general manager, Deepesh Thomas. “It’s a simple update in the app, but one that delivers a significant boost in confidence, peace of mind, and control over how they move through their cities.”
An Uber cool update
The update arrives after Uber first tested the waters for the women-only product in certain cities across the US and France, adjusting the service based on driver and rider behaviours. Now ready for South African app stores, Uber reckons it has localised the women-only service, keeping safety at the forefront of its mind.
Only an Uber account created by a female will have access to the product, and it is exclusively available to them. When a trip is booked through this service, any potential female drivers will be fully aware of this fact, thus “allowing them to make informed choices about the trips they accept,’ As the e-hailing company put it.
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“Women riders gain greater choice and peace of mind when booking trips, while female drivers benefit from increased earning potential and the ability to connect with riders who prefer women behind the wheel.”
Unfortunately, the launch of such a product will only tempt bad actors to take advantage of the update, for which Uber has some solutions to keep drivers safe. Should a female rider request a trip, only for the driver to arrive to find a female and male companion, the driver can cancel the trip at no charge to them if they feel unsafe.
