Lyft is introducing a new feature that lets women and non-binary riders choose a preference to match with drivers of the same gender.
The ride-hailing company said it was a “highly requested feature” in a blog post Tuesday, saying the new feature allows women and non-binary people to “feel that much more confident” in using Lyft and also hopefully encourage more women to sign up to be drivers to access its “flexible earning opportunities.”
The service, called “Women+ Connect,” is rolling out in the coming months. Riders can turn on the option in the Lyft app, however the company warns that it’s not a guarantee that they’ll be matched with a women or non-binary person if one of those people aren’t nearby. Both the riders and drivers will need to opt-in to the feature for it work and riders must chose a gender for it to work.
Not American so cultures will differ, but I’ve had exactly one female Bolt driver out of my ~40-50 rides. I don’t know if I’ve ever had a female food courier because I don’t always get to the door before they leave. Haven’t seen one though (I mean I’ve seen them around town - just haven’t been delivered to by one).
No idea why it’s like that. Maybe it’s because women are significantly more likely than men to acquire advanced degrees in my country so they don’t need to do gig work as their main source of income? Maybe women just don’t feel safe doing it?