Uber's Women Drivers Feature: Safety or Discrimination?

0:00Reporting from The Daily News, now, I'm Corey, with the latest in Durham, Uber has wrote out a new feature nationwide called Women Drivers, letting female passengers request women behind the wheel. Writers can choose this option in the app, book ahead, or set a preference for better matching odds. Women drivers can also opt for female writers only, and it extends to teen accounts. This comes despite a class-action lawsuit in California from drivers claiming it discriminates against men. The suit argues the feature violates state law by favoring women drivers with more rides and plays into stereotypes about men being dangerous. Uber pushed back with emotion for arbitration, saying it boosts safety as a key public need. Meanwhile, live faces a similar discrimination lawsuit over its own women, only matching tool launched last year. Drivers have mixed views on the change. A single mom driving nights in San Francisco loves it for safer, steadier work, with women passengers from late shifts.

1:00A male driver who covers both Uber and Lyft calls it smart in theory, but doubts it due to so few women on the road overnight. Uber tested the feature last summer in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Detroit, before expanding to 26 more spots in November. It first appeared in Saudi Arabia five years ago, and now runs in 40 other countries. The company shares a history of sexual assault reports, and recently paid $8.5 million in one case. Uber hopes this draws more women drivers and has ads with athletes like Alex Morgan. It's not for non-binary users, sticking to license genders, after talks with safety and LGBTQ plus groups. Both Uber and Lyft share database to boot out bad drivers. Thanks to our sponsor for helping bring you this episode, when you want calm, do not reach for your phone. Stay back and listen, S-O-L-I-SOLYPELLOW.com.