Lyft is introducing a new feature that lets women and non-binary riders choose a preference to match with drivers of the same gender.
The ride-hailing company said it was a “highly requested feature” in a blog post Tuesday, saying the new feature allows women and non-binary people to “feel that much more confident” in using Lyft and also hopefully encourage more women to sign up to be drivers to access its “flexible earning opportunities.”
The service, called “Women+ Connect,” is rolling out in the coming months. Riders can turn on the option in the Lyft app, however the company warns that it’s not a guarantee that they’ll be matched with a women or non-binary person if one of those people aren’t nearby. Both the riders and drivers will need to opt-in to the feature for it work and riders must chose a gender for it to work.
Not beside the point. Good or bad, this feature will mean that some workers will see less trips and make less money. That’s a simple mathematical fact.
Alternatively, in a world where gig workers made a livable salary regardless of the number of jobs slung their way, these safety changes would be much more decoupled from affecting the take-home pay of one of the poorest sector of workers in this country.