The safety and comfort of passengers are at the heart of Uber’s concerns, which is today launching in France a new feature allowing users to choose a female driver rather than a male driver. An offer that is part of a more global approach aimed at feminizing the profession and offering more choice to customers.
A free option but with a longer wait time
Called “Uber by women”, this new option is accessible directly from the application at no additional cost. Users can now select a driver for their trip with a simple click from the drop-down menu. However, with only 1,500 female drivers in Île-de-France (i.e. around 3% of partner drivers), the average waiting time is estimated at 15-20 minutes, compared to 3-4 minutes for a classic race.
To encourage female drivers to accept these specific rides, Uber has implemented a financial incentive until February 2025 by reducing its service fees from 25% to 15%. A “substantial reduction” according to the company which specifies that it “very rarely offers promotions on driver commissions”.
A response to security issues
This initiative, already deployed in Poland and several Latin American countries, is part of a broader desire to improve user security. Laureline Serieys, general manager of Uber France, explains:
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.
The company developed this feature in collaboration with women’s rights associations and security experts. It complements other safety measures recently introduced, such as the option for teenagers allowing parents to follow the journey in real time.
This approach is part of a broader movement of services dedicated to women, like the SNCF which offers reserved spaces on its night trains or certain cities like Metz which have established parking spaces reserved for women in the city center.
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