American based cab services company Uber’s, Indian wing, Uber India, recently announced that they will be increasing the rates of fares in many cities across the nation to combat the constantly rising prices of fuel. Recently, the council of uber drivers came together to demand a more fair and liveable wage due to the rising gas prices and heat, making the money they get from trips insufficient even for themselves. Many of them have families and kids to take. According some sources, there has been a hike ranging from 15 to 20% in many major cities across the nation.
Mr. Nitish Bhushan the director of central operations for Uber India said that this hike is mainly done to help the ride sharing and Uber Pool drivers who have had to bear the brunt of the rising costs.
He went on to say that Uber has always tried to be attractive place to work at and they have taken the decision to increase fares so that drivers can earn more for every trip they do. The extra fares will go to the drivers so that they can have a more secure job.
They have also added extra features on the Uber app for drivers to make their job more comfortable and smoother. Previously, drivers cannot see where the drop location is until they accept the trip. The drivers weren’t a big fan of this as if the drop is somewhere far away, they either have to take the trip or cancel it which would reduce their rating. But now, drivers can see where the drop location is even before accepting the ride and they pick if they want to make the journey or not without it affecting their rating at all.
There will be more flexibility when it comes to the payments part of it. All these new updates are mainly to help drivers earn a more humane wage as it is a difficult time for them. The past few years have been difficult for drivers. Ever since Covid hit India in 2020, drivers have had almost no work due to the lockdowns. Drivers also needed to sanitize their cars regularly, take necessary precautions and have the necessary documents to drive during the lockdowns and curfew.
The company however, still has not spoken about the surge pricing issues and the cancellations people face which really ruins the entire experience.
However, these new updates should really help the drivers, and assist them in having a liveable wage.