Uber Drivers Research Paper

If you are without a car, Uber is a blessing. It is a convenient and easy tool in going from point A to point B. Yet for Uber drivers, being a driver can be a nuisance.

Sure, a driver has a flexible schedule, but driver demands, low pay and a lack of employee benefits are just some of the complaints Uber drivers have at the moment. Uber has already been the subject of numerous class action lawsuits, including one filed last week in New York City accusing the ride-sharing company of denying drivers of decent wages.

Uber, in an effort to ease driver woes, announced yesterday a slate of new features and perks to improve the driving experience. This includes making it possible for drivers to pause incoming requests if they need a break, as well
as offering drivers debit cards so they may receive their earnings instantly.

Uber is also expanding its “Destinations” feature, allowing drivers to input their destination while ride requests that would force drivers to veer from their destination are filtered out.
This tool will only be able to be used twice a day, likely if a driver is heading to work or going home. It will expanded to a dozen U.S. cities this week, with more cities being given the tool in due time.

While some may be quick to connect Uber’s changes to the stream of class action lawsuits filed against them, The Verge’s Andrew J. Hawkins writes:

Uber says the new features are more about trying to remove some of the pain points of driving on its platform, and less about responding to ongoing litigation. Many of the updates to the driver-facing app were piloted in various markets and are now being rolled out in more cities and in a broader fashion.

One new feature which was tested positively was allowing drivers in New York City, New Jersey, Phoenix and Dallas to charge riders who made them wait longer than two minutes, giving drivers the ability to punish those who hinder their ability to do their job. After the feature was introduced in said markets, riders were, according to Uber, “more likely to be prompt” to meeting their drivers. As a result, Uber is expanding this policy to a dozen U.S. cities, with more slated to be
incorporated.

While Uber has been seen as a convenient tool for riders, the new focus on improving the driving experience shows how the private sector can work to meet both employee and customer needs, improving the overall experience. Uber understands this very well, as they said in a statement, “As we move forward, drivers will continue to be our greatest source of inspiration. After all, who knows better what would improve the Uber experience than the people who use it every day?”