On International Women’s Day, March 8, the Uber by Women service was launched in Krakow. Up to now, the product that connects female passengers with female drivers was only available in the capital of Poland, and in less than half a year, Warsaw women used it over 25,000 times. The launch of the service was accompanied by a conference during which panelists discussed the challenges in passenger transport for women. At the same time, the company announced the beginning of cooperation with the Feminoteka Foundation.
Uber by Women is a service that allows you to order rides carried out exclusively by female drivers. It is visible to everyone, so it enables women to order rides not only for themselves but also – using the “change passenger” option – for a friend or colleague.
Success of the women for women service
The Uber by Women product in the capital launched in October 2023. From the beginning, the service is attracting interest from women, who especially like to use it on Friday and Saturday nights. Since its launch, 25,000 rides have been made, and the number of passengers using the product is growing every day. The record passenger has ordered over 70 rides, while the record driver has already completed 500 rides.
“Uber by Women is a unique service that responds not only to the needs of passengers but also to the needs of drivers themselves. We are extremely pleased with its popularity, so – after a good reception in Warsaw, we decided to launch it in another city,” says Marcin Moczyrog, General Manager, Uber CEE.
What do female passengers and drivers need?
The launch of the Uber by Women service in Krakow was accompanied by a debate about the needs of women in the passenger transport sector. Popular drivers – Ewelka from Uberka and Taxi Mama, who show on their social media channels the realities of a woman driving a taxi, and the Main Police Headquarters in Krakow, as well as the TOR Economic Advisors Team and the Partnership for Road Safety, were invited to participate in the discussion.
The topics discussed during the debate included the app transport market in the context of regulatory changes, the demand for women’s products, and the realities of female drivers’ work. An important area of discussion was also the professional activation of female drivers. Due to changes in the law, which will take effect in June, tens of thousands of drivers will leave the market. The role of women in filling these gaps is invaluable.
The discussants agreed that the transport industry needs both convenient, available solutions for female passengers and a sufficient number of female drivers. And professional activation of women in this direction is currently one of the industry’s main challenges.
Uber and Feminoteka join forces
During the event, Uber also announced the start of cooperation with the Feminoteka Foundation. The undertaken cooperation of the foundation with Uber includes, among others, joint educational and advisory activities.
“The Feminoteka Foundation was established to support women, especially those who experience violence. Every day our counselors and experts provide legal, therapeutic, and psychological help for those in need. We are very pleased with the cooperation we have just entered with the Uber platform. As a women’s voice, we will gladly share our knowledge about their needs in transport,” says Joanna Gzyra-Iskandar, Spokeswoman for combating violence against women of the Feminoteka Foundation.
