Lyft launches new feature pairing women and nonbinary riders and drivers

When Lyft driver Maria V. picks up another woman, she feels “a mutual understanding, like ‘girl code.’”

Now, women and nonbinary Lyft drivers have the option to select a rider of the same gender through the app’s feature: Women+ Connect.

Women comprise 23% of the Lyft driver population, yet nearly half of riders, according to a recent survey from the company, and this “highly requested feature” now offers a sense of comfort when traveling.

“Women+ Connect is all about providing more women and nonbinary people the opportunity to earn money on their terms and giving riders more choice,” Lyft CEO David Risher said in a statement. 

“We hope this gives millions of drivers and riders another reason to choose Lyft.”

In the app, riders can opt to “count me in” as the feature attempts to match them with women and nonbinary drivers.

While there’s no guarantee that the system will connect drivers and riders of the same gender every time, the in-app feature has been hailed as an important step towards more safety and comfortability.

“It’s encouraging to see how Lyft developed the Women+ Connect feature — this new feature will make women feel more comfortable driving,” said retired sheriff John Whetsel, who serves as the chair of the National Sheriffs’ Association Traffic Safety Committee.

Online, some pundits have praised the move by Lyft, including one user who described the new few feature as “awesome.”

However, others railed against the move, claiming it could be a slippery slope.

“Can’t wait for the segregation by race,” one stated.

“Next you’ll be able to select based on race or religion,” another jeered.

The feature, which will be available early in Chicago, Phoenix, San Jose, San Diego and San Francisco, arrives amid an alarming number of attacks on both rideshare drivers and passengers.

Online, women have shared their safety hacks when using services like Uber, specifically planting their DNA in the backseat.

One TikToker put strands of hair and fingerprint marks in various places to ensure law enforcement would find them should she ever go missing.

From 2017 to 2019, Lyft reported 10 deaths and 4,158 cases of sexual assault, including 360 rapes, according to the company’s 2021 Community Safety Report.

At the time, Lyft, which conducts annual background checks on drivers, vowed to “continuously improve safety for riders and drivers.”