CHICAGO (WBBM Newsradio) – Uber is rolling out a new feature across the United States that allows women riders to request female drivers, expanding a pilot program designed to address safety concerns on the ride-hailing platform.
The feature, called “Women Drivers,” launched nationwide Monday. It allows women passengers to request a female driver directly through the Uber app, set a preference for female drivers in their account settings or reserve a ride with a woman driver in advance.
Female drivers can also choose to limit their trips to women riders if they prefer, though they can turn the option off at any time.
Uber said the change responds to long-standing requests from women who say they feel safer riding with another woman. The San Francisco-based company says roughly one in five of its U.S. drivers are women, though the share varies by city.
The feature was previously tested in cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles and Detroit before expanding to dozens of markets late last year.
The nationwide rollout comes as Uber faces a class-action lawsuit filed in California by two drivers who argue the policy discriminates against men. The lawsuit claims the feature gives female drivers access to the entire pool of passengers while male drivers must compete for fewer ride requests.
Uber has disputed that claim, saying the feature supports a public interest in improving rider and driver safety.
Lyft is facing a similar lawsuit over its Women+Connect feature, which allows women and nonbinary riders to match with drivers with the same identification.