Lyft, the popular rideshare company, has unveiled a new initiative named Women+ Connect, aimed at empowering women and non-binary individuals by allowing them to select their preferred driver or rider.
The announcement was made on Tuesday, as reported by NBC News.
The CEO of Lyft, David Risher, in an exclusive interview with NBC News, emphasized the significance of this initiative. He stated, "for your own peace of mind, the ability to choose a woman driver might be exactly the thing that allows you to say, you know what, yeah, this really is making my life better." Risher further suggested that this move would provide women and non-binary individuals with the "opportunity to earn money on their own terms."
According to a press release, while nearly half of all Lyft riders are women, they constitute only 23% of the company's drivers. Lyft believes that this new feature will bolster confidence among women and non-binary individuals by fostering a more comfortable environment.
The company's statement explains the functionality of the feature: "When the feature goes live in a city, women and nonbinary riders will be prompted in their Lyft app to select Count me in, which will increase their chances of matching with women and nonbinary drivers. Women and nonbinary drivers will see the same opt in. Anyone can update their preferences or opt out in their settings at any time."
The initial testing phase of Women+ Connect will be conducted in Chicago, Phoenix, San Jose, San Francisco, and San Diego, with plans to expand to other cities at a later date.
However, Lyft has clarified that it cannot guarantee that all preferences of women or non-binary individuals will be met. While they will not be able to specifically request drivers on Lyft exclusively, the Women+ Connect feature will provide them with a preference feature that could potentially enhance their chances of being matched with a preferred individual.
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