Abhishek Padhye, Head of Regional Business Operations, Uber India & South Asia, said, “Moto is an obvious, no-nonsense last-mile solution for both riders and drivers in Bengaluru. We expect significant organic traction and eventually to scale to other cities.” He also highlighted that one in three surveyed women riders use Moto.
Padhye echoed Uber India President Prabhjeet Singh’s view on India’s mobility future, stating, “Mobility in the country will be shared, multimodal, and electric. This is the end state we are working towards, even with Moto Women and the increased use of EVs in this space.” The option to book a woman driver is currently available until 8:30 pm as part of the pilot phase.
Women-led Rides with Enhanced Safety Features
The business operations head explained that women riders will be able to share their trip details with up to five trusted contacts for real-time tracking. “Drivers have the option to cancel if they realize the rider isn’t a woman, without any penalty. We’ve also set up eight physical support centers in Bengaluru, staffed by women agents, to address any issues,” Padhye added. Additionally, random scans of drivers will ensure that women are driving under the new service.Women drivers also have the flexibility to switch between modes—either ‘only female’ riders or the usual Moto offerings.
Discover the stories of your interest
Uber plans to double the number of women riders, reaching a total of 500 across the city by Q1 2025. 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.
“Currently, only 2% of the commercial driving space in India is represented by women. That needs to increase, and Uber consciously chose to survey women drivers to better address their concerns,” Padhye stated.
Regarding the ban on two-wheeler taxis in Karnataka, Padhye stated that the High Court’s stay on bike taxi operations is being complied with, and the product is being updated within the state’s regulatory framework.
Commenting on Uber’s effort to promote women’s safety and participation in the workforce, urban mobility expert Ashwin Mahesh said that while such initiatives were welcome, it was unfortunate that there was a need to separate women from men for their safety. “What Uber does is only one part of the story. What is society and the government doing to move to a safer, default environment for everyone? This is something that needs to be remembered,” he said, adding that the larger goal should be to move towards a overall safer environment for women in our society.
