Lyft rolls out Women+ feature in S.A.

Women and nonbinary Lyft riders and drivers in San Antonio can now connect on the app as the company aims to provide greater peace of mind during a ride-share.

Driving the news: The Women+ Connect program is available in San Antonio and roughly 50 other cities.

• The program was rolled out in September in five cities, with plans to quickly expand nationwide.

Why it matters: Advocacy groups have long questioned the safety of ride-sharing, and a high number of violent crimes has been reported during Uber and Lyft rides, according to the New York Times.

• Between 2017 and 2019, Lyft received reports of 4,158 sexual assaults and 10 fatal physical assaults of its passengers and drivers, Axios' Kia Kokalitcheva reported.

Zoom in: An Uber driver accused of sexual assault of a passenger was arrested in San Antonio in April.

State of play: Women make up nearly half of Lyft riders, while 23% of drivers are women, according to a recent company survey.

• Lyft hopes its new program will encourage more women drivers by providing an extra layer of safety and confidence.

By the numbers: Company officials say they've already noticed an uptick in eligible riders and drivers using the new tool.

• In early access cities, riders had about 60% more rides with a woman or nonbinary driver.
• Drivers using Women+ Connect keep the feature on 99% of the time.

What they're saying: "Women+ Connect lets more women and nonbinary drivers get access to rideshare's good, flexible earnings, and gives more riders a sense of comfort and camaraderie," Lyft CEO David Risher said in a statement.