Cab aggregator Uber has launched a new app for its drivers globally based on inputs received from these partners, including those from India. The new app in India is currently available to select driver partners in Kochi and courier partners in Chennai and will be rolled out in a phased manner across the country over the coming months, Uber said in a statement.
“We have built this app by listening to what they needed and shaped it alongside them – over 100 partners from Bangalore were a part of the global beta launch. Our teams spent time on-ground, interacting with partners through group sessions, ride-alongs and in person meetings to gather inputs,” Uber Head of Central Operations (India and South Asia) Pradeep Parameswaran said.
The new app includes a real-time earnings tracker that allows drivers to know how much they earned on their last trip, and track progress toward their goals. A status bar provides real-time updates on market conditions around them and opportunities for more trips nearby. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, in a blogpost, said the move is part of the company’s efforts to improve the driving experience.
“Drivers are the heart of our service. But along the way, we lost sight of that. We focused too much on growth and not enough on the people who made that growth possible. We called drivers “partners,” but didn’t always act like it,” he said. Uber drivers are not on the payrolls of the company as it works on an aggregator model. The company, along with its rival Ola, has often faced agitation from driver partners in India in the last many months. These driver partners have also gone on strike on a number of occasions, complaining against reduced incentives and unfriendly policies.
