(San Francisco) Uber will give its drivers the ability to choose their rides based on destination and price, a feature that drivers have been asking for for a long time.
Posted at 6:29 p.m.
The request of a potential passenger will now include the amount that the driver will earn if he accepts it, as well as the destination.
“It will be easier for drivers to decide if a race is worth the time and effort” required, assures the platform for booking cars with driver (VTC), in a press release on Friday.
Uber is engaged in a long-term battle to prove that the economic model it popularized, that of the freelance economy, is economically and socially viable.
Self-employment status for drivers, essential to this model, is contested in many countries and US states.
The new query format has been tested in several cities this year and will be rolled out to the United States in the coming months, the statement said.
Uber assures that the tests have been positive for passengers too, “with more races carried out and less waiting”.
Many drivers feel like they have the downsides of independence, without the upsides.
The San Francisco-based company had previously tried similar options during the campaign for California’s 2020 referendum on the status of drivers.
The status of contractors prevailed, but many drivers then criticized the group for having abolished or stripped of their substance the features that gave them more independence.
Uber struggled to bring its drivers back after the pandemic, and therefore to meet the high demand. In May, the company announced that it would invest more in its offer for drivers.
Friday’s statement mentions another tool, “Trip Radar”, which will allow drivers to see a list of other races nearby, “to have the option of choosing one that works better for them”.
The VTC giant will also offer them a bank card with associated advantages, in particular to save on the price of fuel, which has increased considerably.