After launching its service aimed at teenagers, this time, Uber is strengthening its commitment to the safety of female passengers. The VTC platform is deploying, starting today in Paris and only in the capital, a new option allowing women to travel exclusively with female drivers.
An initiative that responds to growing safety concerns, because let us remember, several cases of sexual assault or rape took place in the context of the transport of passengers by a VTC. Isolated cases, certainly, but which forced Uber to put in place various measures to strengthen travel security. Background checks of drivers, geolocation of races, possibility of sharing your journey with loved ones, etc. However, these measures are not infallible since in recent years, these extremely serious facts have continued to cause scandal.
Drivers at the controls
The option “ Uber by Women » now appears on the application alongside traditional services like UberX or Comfort. This novelty mobilizes some 1,500 Parisian chauffeursready to crisscross the capital day and night. The deployment of this service nevertheless results in a longer waiting time: around 15 minutes compared to 4 minutes for a classic UberX journey.
A delay which can be explained by the still limited number of drivers available. For the sake of transparency, the option will only appear in the application if there are chairs available in the area.
A device with guardrails
The service has been designed with several protection mechanisms so as not to disadvantage female drivers. The latter have the possibility of canceling a trip without impact on their rating if a man shows up in place of a customer. Laureline Serieys, director of Uber France, explains the approach: “ With Uber by Women, we are taking a concrete step to offer more choice to women and provide those who feel the need with more peace of mind during their journeys. “.
Uber is killing two birds with one stone here: increase the safety of its customers and feminize the profession of VTC driver. “ It is also an excellent way to increase the attractiveness of the VTC profession among women who would not envision themselves in this profession. », underlines the director.
The Parisian experiment could open the way to wider deployment of the service in other French metropolisesaccording to feedback from this first phase. Even if this option will not solve the problem of sexual violence in VTCs in a fundamental way, it is nevertheless welcome and there is no doubt that some women will prefer it to the classic routemostly led by a man. Since according to the UNT (National Union of Taxis)in 2024, “ 93% of candidates registered for the VTC exam are men “.
- Uber launches “ Uber by Women » in Paris, a service allowing women to travel exclusively with female drivers.
- With only 1,500 drivers available, the waiting time is longer, but some users will feel safer.
- The initiative aims to protect female passengers and encourage women to join the VTC profession.
