UBER IS INTRODUCING a feature in some US cities that will enable women to ask to only be paired with drivers who are also women – but has no plans to bring the measure to Ireland.

The ride-sharing company announced this week that it is piloting a feature called “Women Preferences” in three US cities in the coming weeks.

The function will allow women using the app – both passengers and drivers – to request to only be matched with other women on trips.

The pilot will start with Los Angeles, San Francisco and Detroit, with intentions to expand further across the US.

Several dozen countries (Ireland isn’t one of them) already have an option in the app for women drivers to request to only be paired with other women as passengers, but this will be the first time that passengers have the option. 

In a statement to The Journal, Uber said it does not currently plan to introduce the feature in Ireland.

“This is just a US product,” a spokesperson said.

More choice. More control. Women told us they wanted the option to be matched with other women—and we listened.

Now, after piloting these features in dozens of countries, we're bringing Women Preferences to the US.

🙋‍♀️ Riders can choose a woman driver
🚘 Drivers get more… pic.twitter.com/mGmxXB50Qd

— Uber (@Uber) July 23, 2025

Other taxi apps operating in Ireland include Freenow and Bolt.

Freenow is being acquired by Lyft, another taxi app, which has a similar feature in the US called Women+ Connect.

In a statement to The Journal, Freenow Ireland General Manager, Danny O’Gorman said that Women+ Connect has been “well received in the US” and it is “currently evaluating whether and how similar features could be relevant for European markets”.

“Supporting passenger and driver safety is a key priority for Freenow, and we are committed to providing safe and reliable service to app users through safety features like ‘Share your trip’, which allows the trip to be shared with friends or family,” O’Gorman said.

“Taxi drivers in Ireland are regulated by the National Transport Authority and require full vetting by An Garda Síochána before obtaining their taxi licence,” he said.

Bolt, which has a feature in some countries for passengers called “Women for Women”, said that it keeps the available locations under review but that there are barriers in the industry to growing the number of women working as taxi drivers.

Kimberly Hurd, Bolt’s Senior General Manager for Ireland, said: “Safety is a top priority for Bolt, and we’re always looking at new ways to support both passengers and drivers. We introduced a ‘Women for Women’ feature in several countries, which allows women passengers to request women drivers where available.

“While this feature is not currently available in Ireland, we’re constantly reviewing where it could be rolled out next,” Hurd said, adding that Bolt has other in-app safety features like an emergency assist button.

“As a woman in the industry, increasing the diversity of drivers is a particular focus of mine. However, a major barrier to growing the number of women in the industry is the current regulatory environment,” she said.

“The cost of entering the market is high and the SPSV Driver Entry Test needs modernisation to better reflect today’s technology and operating conditions. These issues need to be addressed if we’re serious about improving diversity across the sector.”