Latest news with #UberXL
Zawya
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Zawya
Uber launches ‘UberXL' in Egypt to expand everyday mobility options
Cairo, Egypt: Uber today announced the launch of UberXL in Egypt, introducing a new spacious ride option, helping families, groups and travelers move more comfortably. Additionally, by expanding the platform to drivers with SUVs, minivans, and crossovers, UberXL not only enhances riders experience but also unlocks new flexible earning opportunities for driver partners with larger vehicles in Cairo. UberXL will offer riders access to larger vehicles such as SUVs, minivans, and crossovers, all with the same reliability, convenience, quality standards and safety features they expect when using the Uber app. The launch of UberXL addresses local demand for large-capacity transport options, allowing riders to request spacious vehicles when traveling with family, groups of friends, or extra luggage. Vehicles registered under the UberXL ride option, will be required to meet specific size and quality standards, ensuring ample space for up to four passengers and their luggage. Whether heading to the airport or commuting as a group, UberXL helps locals and tourists move together with ease, supporting Egypt's broader mobility goals and contributing to its growing tourism economy. The newly launched service is available today in Cairo through the Uber app, with future plans to bring it to more cities based on rider and driver partner feedback. About Uber Uber's mission is to create opportunity through movement. We started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get access to a ride at the touch of a button? More than 49 billion trips later, we're building products to get people closer to where they want to be. By changing how people, food, and things move through cities, Uber is a platform that opens up the world to new possibilities.
New York Post
24-07-2025
- Automotive
- New York Post
Uber announces feature allowing women to select female preference for riders, drivers
Uber announced a 'Women's Preferences' on Wednesday that would allow women riders and drivers in the US to only be connected with other women for their trips through the ride-sharing service. The pilot program will begin in the next few weeks in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit. The company does not yet have a launch date for other US cities. 'Across the US, women riders and drivers have told us they want the option to be matched with other women on trips,' the company said in a press release. 'We've heard them—and now we're introducing new ways to give them even more control over how they ride and drive.' 'For the first time in the US, we're launching Women Preferences—features designed to give women riders and drivers more choice, more confidence, and more flexibility when they use Uber,' the company added. The new feature comes as Uber has recorded thousands of incidents of sexual assaults over the years and has sought to introduce measures to make traveling safer. 4 Uber announced a 'Women's Preferences' on Wednesday that would allow women riders and drivers in the US to only be connected with other women for their trips. REUTERS 4 The pilot program will begin in the next few weeks in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit. ifeelstock – The company previously launched the women rider preference feature in other countries, allowing women in around 40 countries to request female riders. The program first launched in Saudi Arabia in 2019 after a law passed that granted women the right to drive, and it subsequently expanded after receiving an 'overwhelmingly positive' response. 'Of course, riders wanted the same choice,' Uber said. 'But making this work reliably—not just symbolically—required thoughtful design. Most drivers are men, so we've worked to ensure this feature was truly usable in different places around the world. We tested, listened, and refined it in markets like Germany and France, adapting the feature to real-world rider and driver behaviors. As a result, in a first for the industry, we're able to launch more reliable features that offer women riders multiple ways to be matched with a woman driver.' 4 The company previously launched the women rider preference feature in other countries, allowing women in around 40 countries to request female riders. maxbelchenko – 4 The program first launched in Saudi Arabia in 2019 after a law passed that granted women the right to drive, and it subsequently expanded after receiving an 'overwhelmingly positive' response. REUTERS Women riders must verify their own gender on the app to access the new feature. When selecting a ride, they will see 'Women Drivers' as an on-demand option along with existing options such as UberXL, Uber Black, Comfort and Wait & Save. Riders can also reserve trips in advance with women drivers. Additionally, women drivers will have the option to request trips with women riders. Although it is not guaranteed, the company said riders and drivers can toggle on the women preference in their app settings to increase the chances of being matched with another woman. Lyft, another ride-share service, introduced the 'Women+ Connect' option —similar to Uber's new program — in September 2023 before it expanded nationwide in February 2024.
Hindustan Times
24-07-2025
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Uber to test new safety measure in US: Pairing women riders and drivers
Uber Technologies Inc. is piloting a new ride type in the US that will match female riders and drivers, expanding access to a safety feature it already offers in some international markets. Riders will see a new on-demand ride option called 'Women Drivers' alongside the existing UberX, Comfort, UberXL and Black offerings. (Unsplash/Representational) The service will launch in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Detroit over the next few weeks, the company said in a statement Wednesday. Riders will see a new on-demand ride option called 'Women Drivers' alongside the existing UberX, Comfort, UberXL and Black offerings. Customers can reserve such a trip in advance, or set their preference in the app settings to increase the likelihood of being matched with a woman driver. Female drivers, who make up about 1 in 5 of Uber's US driver population, can similarly choose that preference in the settings of their driver app. Drivers' eligibility for the program will be based on the gender listed on their license. For riders, it will be determined by their first name or whether they specified their gender as female on their Uber profile. 'It's about giving women more choice, more control, and more comfort when they ride and drive,' said Camiel Irving, vice president of operations in the US and Canada. Cities that have a bigger population of women drivers will be the ones that get the feature sooner, she said, but added that the three options are designed to allow different ways of matching without compromising wait times and service availability. The company also sees the option as a way to attract more female drivers to the platform. 'The product is really popular whenever we're able to launch it,' said Irving. 'Our expectation is that it's going to be just as popular in the US both with drivers and with prospective drivers.' The introduction of the feature comes nearly two years after rival Lyft Inc. introduced a similar offering in the US, underscoring a tit-for-tat competition between the two rideshare apps to win over customers with features tailored to certain demographics. Earlier this year, for instance, the two companies rolled out simplified versions of their apps for elderly riders in close succession. In May, Uber also introduced a $2.99 monthly pass aimed at commuters that lets users lock in prices for for favorite routes. The launch came months after Lyft debuted a similar product. However, unlike Lyft's women-matching program, which also includes non-binary users, Uber's product is solely for those with commonly identifiable feminine names or those who identify as female in the app. The company has had 'a couple of conversations' with LGBTQ organizations and concluded this 'is not quite the right way to serve the non-binary population right now,' Irving said in an interview. Uber launched the matching feature for female drivers in Saudi Arabia in 2019 to mark a landmark decision that granted women the right to drive. Since then, it said, it's completed more than 100 million such trips having expanded the feature to drivers in 40 countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, India and Mexico. It has also tested the feature for riders in Germany and France.
Los Angeles Times
23-07-2025
- Automotive
- Los Angeles Times
Uber tests option to match female riders and drivers
Uber Technologies Inc. is piloting a new ride type in the US that will match female riders and drivers, expanding access to a safety feature it already offers in some international markets. The service will launch in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Detroit over the next few weeks, the company said in a statement Wednesday. Riders will see a new on-demand ride option called 'Women Drivers' alongside the existing UberX, Comfort, UberXL and Black offerings. Customers can reserve such a trip in advance, or set their preference in the app settings to increase the likelihood of being matched with a woman driver. Female drivers, who make up about 1 in 5 of Uber's US driver population, can similarly choose that preference in the settings of their driver app. Drivers' eligibility for the program will be based on the gender listed on their license. For riders, it will be determined by their first name or whether they specified their gender as female on their Uber profile. 'It's about giving women more choice, more control, and more comfort when they ride and drive,' said Camiel Irving, vice president of operations in the US and Canada. Cities that have a bigger population of women drivers will be the ones that get the feature sooner, she said, but added that the three options are designed to allow different ways of matching without compromising wait times and service availability. The company also sees the option as a way to attract more female drivers to the platform. 'The product is really popular whenever we're able to launch it,' said Irving. 'Our expectation is that it's going to be just as popular in the US both with drivers and with prospective drivers.' The introduction of the feature comes nearly two years after rival Lyft Inc. introduced a similar offering in the US, underscoring a tit-for-tat competition between the two rideshare apps to win over customers with features tailored to certain demographics. Earlier this year, for instance, the two companies rolled out simplified versions of their apps for elderly riders in close succession. In May, Uber also introduced a $2.99 monthly pass aimed at commuters that lets users lock in prices for for favorite routes. The launch came months after Lyft debuted a similar product. However, unlike Lyft's women-matching program, which also includes non-binary users, Uber's product is solely for those with commonly identifiable feminine names or those who identify as female in the app. The company has had 'a couple of conversations' with LGBTQ organizations and concluded this 'is not quite the right way to serve the non-binary population right now,' Irving said in an interview. Uber launched the matching feature for female drivers in Saudi Arabia in 2019 to mark a landmark decision that granted women the right to drive. Since then, it said, it's completed more than 100 million such trips having expanded the feature to drivers in 40 countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, India and Mexico. It has also tested the feature for riders in Germany and France. Lung writes for Bloomberg.
Time of India
19-07-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Overcharging, arguments affect commuters as cabs, autos go on strike in city
Arguments with passengers and overcharging marred the indefinite strike called by aggregator app-based cab and auto drivers from Friday in the city. Among the worst affected were flyers arriving at the airport and struggling to find further travel options. A woman on her way to a doctor near Amanora Mall said she was mistreated by some autorickshaw drivers on strike. "I had hailed an auto and was on my way to the doctor when a group of other autorickshaw drivers stopped the driver. They snatched his cellphone and forcibly tried to pull me out of the vehicle, stating that a strike was on," she told TOI, choosing anonymity. "They paid no heed even when I said I had a doctor's appointment. When I screamed, they backed off a bit. The auto driver took the opportunity to drive off. How can they indulge in violence like this?" she said. Indian Gig Workers Front has called the strike in Pune, Mumbai and Nagpur demanding fare-by-meter system acknowledgement by state govt and scrapping of e-bike taxis . This story continues on page 4 in the newspaper. For your reading convenience we have added it below. No relief likely from cab & auto strike till Tuesday Pune: The strike called by cab and auto drivers affiliated to aggregator apps led to major inconvenience for commuters in the city on Friday. For instance, in the morning hours, a ride from NIBM Road to Pune airport (around 15km) by auto showed a fare of Rs430 against the normal Rs240 on the Uber app. If one booked an Uber XL, the fare reflected a whopping Rs1,461, and a ride via an Uber Sedan showed a fare of Rs777. A ride via UberGo showed a fare of Rs739, and if one wanted to ride in the Uber Premier category, the fare showed Rs1,096. Elsewhere in the city as well, auto prices almost doubled - a short ride from Karve Road to FC Road cost at least Rs70-80 by auto, versus the usual average of Rs40-50 on aggregator apps. By meter, the same cost comes to around Rs30. Arriving flyers at the airport in the early hours of Friday were especially hassled. Vivek Purekar, who had to go to Kothrud from the airport, said, "I booked an Uber cab, for which the fare is locked advance. Upon reaching the AeroMall from the arrival area, I was told that cab drivers were on strike and I had to take another mode of transportation. Many other flyers besides me were clueless about this. I then wasted around 30 minutes trying to cancel the pre-paid ride and had to take pre-paid autorickshaw to my destination." Ajinkya Bhavane, who came from Delhi and wanted to go to Kalyaninagar, was in for a shock too. "The cab pickup area at the AeroMall was practically empty, and even after repeated attempts over 30 minutes, I couldn't get any cabs. I came outside with my luggage and found an auto driver who asked me to pay Rs500 for the short distance, saying that there was a strike going on. I was in a hurryand had no choice," he rued. Ankit Rai, a Pune resident, wrote on X, "There are no cabs available to commute to work. The aggregator applications are showing triple times surge, and striking drivers are stopping cabs and assaulting the non-striking drivers and also passengers, resulting in passengers being left stranded on the road." Sonu Pandey, who was at the airport late on Thursday evening, also shared his plight on X and posted: "Last night, I witnessed five or six individuals acting like thugs, threatening and physically assaulting cab drivers, forcing them to cancel rides. Meanwhile, regular cabs were charging exorbitant fares - upwards of Rs2,000 for a mere 10km ride. This is a complete disaster." Keshav Kshirsagar, president of the Indian Gig Workers Front, accepted that incidents of violence occurred. "We have been appealing to striking drivers not to indulge in any violence and will continue to do so. On Friday, we also met some officials of the transport department who said they could arrange a meeting with all stakeholders by Tuesday. So, at present, the strike will be on until Tuesday at least until our demands are met," he told TOI. Earlier this year, the Indian Gig Workers Front announced that from May 1, cabs of Ola, Uber and Rapido should charge fares as per state govt-approved rates. App companies had said that for autos, they had already switched to a SaaS (software as a service) model, wherein commuters could book autos via the apps but then fares would be decided by mutual understanding. On May 1, the Gig Workers Front launched the website ' on which govt approved fares would reflect when details were entered. Pune RTO officials had told TOI that once the state aggregator policy comes into effect, this confusion will be cleared. "Once it comes into play, apps will have to adhere to norms and apply for a licence," Pune deputy RTO Swapnil Bhosle had earlier told TOI.
