Ride-hailing major Uber has launched "Moto Women", a women-only bike taxi service in Bengaluru, aiming to enhance safety and convenience for female riders while creating flexible earning opportunities for female drivers. The move comes as bike taxis continue to grow as a popular urban transport option in India.
"Bike-taxis and three-wheeler autos truly address the hyperlocal, last-mile connectivity for consumers. When we spoke to multiple woman riders, they said that having a women driver would enhance safety and help them adopt bike-taxis," said Abhishek Padhye, Head of Regional Business Operations, Uber India & South Asia to Moneycontrol.
The service connects female riders with female drivers and is designed to cater to women who prefer a gender-specific commuting option.
"Bike taxis have seen rapid adoption in Indian cities, offering affordable and efficient transportation. Bengaluru, which records over one million bike taxi rides monthly, has emerged as a significant market for such services," said Padhye.
According to a KPMG report, 65-70% of bike taxi trips address first- and last-mile connectivity needs, highlighting their role in complementing public transport systems, the firm said in a statement.
Uber is currently piloting the service in Bangalore with 300 drivers on road and will double this number by Q1 of 2025.
"While we are starting in Bengaluru, the service will be extended to other cities soon. We have also enabled all the user safety features for our female driver partners as well, "Padhye added.
To be sure, Uber's Moto Woman will service from 7.30 am to 8.30 pm while the Uber Moto feature is available 24X7.
The feature does not restrict male passengers to choose female driving partners.
The announcement comes a few weeks after thr firm has announced a slew of driver benefit schemes.
Uber came out with a new set of features to improve the safety and ease of its platform for drivers in India, including allowing women drivers to pick only female passengers and upfront driver tipping options.
Uber has also announced tipping features like its rivals Namma Yatri and Rapido.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
