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Uber Women Drivers live in South Africa

Uber South Africa has officially launched its long-awaited Women Drivers option in the country for women.

Uber

The new ride option allows female riders on the network to choose female drivers specifically, making it safer for women given its history of harassment, attempted kidnapping and assault in the country.

Uber says it tested the product extensively in countries like the US and France and localised those insights for South African riders and drivers. The option will no doubt bring peace of mind for women across the country when using Uber, and from personal experience, especially for late night trips to the airport.

Deepesh Thomas, General Manager, Uber Sub-Saharan Africa says safety is top of mind for many women when they travel.

“With Women Drivers, we’re giving them the power of choice – the option to select a female driver. It’s a simple update in the app, but one that delivers a significant boost in confidence, peace of mind, and control over how they move through their cities.” ~ Deepesh Thomas, GM Uber SSA

According to Uber SA, the service is only available to women riders, exclusively for them, and when accompanying women passengers, men will not be eligible to use the service.

And for female drivers, they have visibility that the request came from this products, giving them a choice about the trips they accept, explains Uber.

The female driver has a choice to decline the trip if she does not feel comfortable, or perhaps if there is a man accompanying the women.

Uber says its Women Drivers product is integrated with other safety features on the app, such as GPS tracking, Share My Trip, RideCheck and 24/7 in-app emergency support for rider and driver.

Having tested the product twice now for trips to and from the airport after dark and close to sunset, I felt a lot safer using Uber again.

However, with this option, you cannot choose a car size. I was going on an overnight trip and fortunately I got a woman driver in a tiny car that could fit my hand luggage, which she let me put in the backseat.

Previously, I used Secure Express for airport trips after hours after a scare when a driver decided to take back roads to the airport instead of sticking to the highway. With Uber Women Drivers, it becomes more affordable for one person.

“Women Drivers is part of how we’re thinking differently about mobility in South Africa,” concludes Deepesh Thomas. “We’re innovating not just with technology, but with solutions that respond to the real needs of our users.”

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