Uber launches Moto Women: Women-only bike rides in Bengaluru
Uber, India’s leading mobility app, today rolled out Uber Moto Women, a first-of-its-kind service in Bengaluru, offering women-only bike rides. This on-demand two-wheeler ride service connects female riders with female drivers and is designed to address women’s safety and mobility needs while empowering female drivers with flexible earning opportunities. Developed based on feedback from women riders and drivers, Uber Moto Women offers a safe, affordable and convenient commute option for women who would prefer to ride with female drivers or riders for their trips.
Bike taxis have rapidly emerged as one of the fastest-growing transport options in urban India. According to a KPMG report titled “Unlocking the Potential of Bike Taxis in India,” over 280 million bike taxi rides were completed across platforms in 2022. Bengaluru alone recorded over 1 million rides monthly, making it one of the country’s largest bike taxi markets. Additionally, 65-70% of bike taxi trips cater to first- and last-mile connectivity, highlighting their importance in complementing public transport.
Commenting on the launch of Uber Moto Women, Abhishek Padhye, Head of Regional Business Operations, Uber India & South Asia, said, “At Uber, we’re committed to creating mobility solutions that cater to the diverse needs of our communities. With Uber Moto Women, we’re not just offering a safer and more convenient ride option for women, but also empowering female drivers with the opportunity to earn flexibly in one of India’s fastest-growing mobility segments. Bengaluru has always been a pioneer in embracing innovation, and we’re proud to launch this service here to set a new benchmark for inclusive urban mobility.”
Safer rides with Uber Moto Women
Uber Moto Women harnesses the company’s advanced technology-led safety features to provide a safer ride each time. Riders can share their trip details with up to 5 trusted contacts for real-time tracking; while anonymisation of phone numbers and drop-off addresses protects user privacy. RideCheck, Uber’s proactive safety feature, monitors irregularities like long stops, mid-way drops or route deviations and offers support when needed. Women riders and drivers also have access to Uber’s 24x7 Safety Helpline, which provides priority support for women when they need it.
Generating livelihood opportunities
As per the KPMG report, bike taxis have the potential to generate up to 5.4 million livelihood opportunities in India. With female participation in the ride-hailing space in India continuing to be low, Uber Moto Women can encourage more women to drive. Flexible working hours, short distance trips, and easy navigation, will make it easier for more women drivers to drive on the platform. Offering complete flexibility, Uber Moto Women drivers also have the choice to turn off the option to accept female only riders, and accept all rides when they want.
Similarly, ride-hailing options like Moto Women can positively impact women’s workforce participation. As per a study by Oxford Economics, titled “Ride Hailing: A platform for women’s economic participation in India”, women’s workforce participation could increase by over 6% by 2028 with greater access to ride-hailing options. The report also found that 75% of women choose ride-hailing for safer commuting compared to alternatives, while almost 1 in 3 women in India use bike taxis at least once a month.
Uber Moto Women will be available across all major parts of Bengaluru starting today. Uber continues to stay committed to mobility innovation and its dedication to creating meaningful solutions for women’s safety and economic empowerment.
About Uber
Uber came to India in 2013 with a simple promise: press a button, get a ride. More than 10 years and over 3 billion trips later, we continue to build products to help people get where they need to be. Today, Uber is available across 125 cities in India and has become #IndiaKiRide where people can go where they have to on Moto, Auto, Cars and even Buses - designed for their various intracity and intercity travel needs. With just a swipe on the app we make mobility seamless for millions and support over 1 million Indians making a sustainable income by getting in the driver's seat. We continue to reimagine the way the world moves for the better in ever expanding ways and as we mark our ten-year milestone - we remain committed to keep India Moving Forward.
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