Uber launches women-only driver option for female riders in Costa Rica

Uber launched a new service called Uber Mujeres in Costa Rica, allowing female passengers to request trips with female drivers.

The company is rolling out the feature gradually across the Greater Metropolitan Area. The option currently works only with UberX rides. Passengers can select the service in three ways: by choosing it during an immediate request, by booking a trip in advance through the reservation feature, or by setting it as a default preference in the app.

Uber notes that a match is not guaranteed because the service depends on the number of women drivers connected at the time of the request. The company says it developed the feature based on feedback from users and its previous Uber Ellas service, which allows women drivers to choose trips with only female passengers.

A survey of women users in Costa Rica showed that 90% of respondents viewed a woman-driver option as important, while 95% felt the offering showed the company was listening to their needs. Women currently make up more than 10% of Uber's active drivers in Costa Rica, totaling roughly 3,400 to 4,000 people.

Laura Santillán, the general manager for Costa Rica, Panama, and the Caribbean, stated that the company aims to increase the share of women drivers to 20% within five years. Ride-hailing apps continue to operate in the country while a bill to regulate platforms like Uber and DiDi remains before the Legislative Assembly.