Uber launches women-only bike taxis in Bengaluru

The initiative, launched on Thursday, aims to address safety and privacy concerns while providing flexible earning opportunities for women drivers.

Bengaluru: Uber has introduced the 'Moto Women' service in Bengaluru, offering women-only bike rides.

The initiative, launched on Thursday (December 12), aims to address safety and privacy concerns while providing flexible earning opportunities for women drivers.

The service already has over 300 women drivers onboard. Uber stated that the idea stemmed from feedback indicating a preference among women for female drivers or fellow commuters.

Enhanced features

Moto Women integrates existing safety features in the Uber app, including real-time trip sharing with up to five contacts, anonymisation of phone numbers and drop-off locations, and monitoring irregularities such as prolonged stops, mid-way drops, or route deviations.

These features are designed to ensure a safer and more private experience for riders.

Uber representatives said the service aims to encourage more women to become bike taxi drivers, contributing to increased workforce participation.

Uber Women-only 2-wheeler ride service.

They referenced a KPMG report and a study by Oxford Economics, highlighting the potential for bike taxis to create 5.4 million livelihood opportunities across India.

Drivers using the Moto Women service have the flexibility to accept all rides by turning off the women-only mode when preferred.

Uber plans to double the number of women bike taxi drivers by the first quarter of 2025, further expanding opportunities and enhancing safety for women commuters.