Latest news with #JustHerRideshare
RNZ News
25-07-2025
- Automotive
- RNZ News
Women will soon be able to request a female Uber driver in these US cities
By Lisa Eadicicco , CNN Uber is piloting a new option for its US app that will allow female passengers to request women drivers, coming after the company has long grappled with preventing sexual assault on its platform. Photo:via CNN Newsource Uber is piloting a new option for its US app that will allow female passengers to request women drivers, coming after the company has long grappled with preventing sexual assault on its platform. The feature, called Women Preferences, will launch in a pilot stage in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Detroit in the next few weeks, Uber said in a blog post on Wednesday. It marks the first time the popular ride share app is bringing this option to its service in the United States after launching it in 40 other countries. Uber joins Lyft and other taxi hailing apps, like HERide and Just Her Rideshare, that connect female passengers with women drivers. "Across the US, women riders and drivers have told us they want the option to be matched with other women on trips," vice president of operations in the US and Canada Camiel Irving said in a press release. Women riders in cities where the feature is available will see a new option called Women Drivers. They'll also be able to pre-book rides with women drivers and set a preference in the app to be matched with a female driver. The feature works both ways; women drivers will be able to request female passengers too with a new "Women Rider Preference" option in the settings menu. Riders and drivers will still be able to connect more broadly with non-female passengers and drivers if they wish, even with these preferences set. The company conducted testing and collected feedback from other markets like Germany and France to make sure the feature would work reliably considering most Uber drivers are men, Irving wrote in Uber's blog post. Sexual assault has been a problem for Uber for years; nearly 6,000 sexual assault reports were made from 2017-2018, according to Uber's safety report. That number had dropped significantly to 2,717 by 2022, the report said, although five passengers sued Uber in 2022 over sexual assault incidents that occurred between August 2021 and February 2022. The California Public Utilities Commission fined Uber $59 million in 2020 for not handing over sexual assault data, but that fine was slashed to $150,000 after the company cut a deal requiring it to provide anonymised data on sexual assault incidents. Uber has launched other features to promote safety in recent years, such as a hub in the app for managing safety preferences. - CNN
Axios
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- Axios
Charlotte-based, women-led rideshare app promises safer travels
Just Her Rideshare is a Charlotte-based rideshare company created for women by women. Why it matters: " We're here to offer peace of mind," founder Kimberly Evans tells Axios, adding that their top priority is creating a safe environment for drivers and passengers across the Carolinas. Context: For Evans, the cause is personal. In 1987, a friend of hers was abducted while waiting for a ride. As rideshare companies emerged, and similar tragic stories made headlines, including the murder of a University of South Carolina student, Evans avoided using rideshare apps for years. In 2020, she launched Just Her Rideshare, making safety a core value of her company. "Uber and Lyft had become so big that I knew they had lost touch with what it looks like to create a safe ride for women," Evans added. How it works: Just Her Rideshare is just like Uber and Lyft, except all the drivers are women. Drivers must pass a background and driving record check. They must be 21 years or older, have access to a four-door vehicle with five seat belts, and their car must be less than 15 years old, according to the application. Like Uber and Lyft, you can schedule rides in advance and modify your experience. Whether you want a silent ride, a certain temperature in the car, or a specific genre of music, just let your driver know in the app's "notes" section. The drivers have the option to choose whether they want to transport passengers who do not identify as female. The app is available on the App Store and Google Play Store. Zoom out: Just Her Rideshare has more than 2,000 drivers across seven cities, including Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Durham, Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville, South Carolina. Evans plans to expand by launching Just Her in Washington, D.C. and surrounding areas in the coming months. The big picture: Both Lyft and Uber have long been criticized by victims for not doing enough to protect passengers and drivers, Axios' Kia Kokalitcheva writes.
