Uber has launched a rewards program called Uber Pro in 12 cities across India, aiming to curb trip cancellations by incentivizing drivers. This initiative allows drivers to progress through four tiers—Blue, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond—based on their performance metrics such as maintaining high app ratings and minimizing trip cancellations.
Shiva Shailendran, Director of Operations at Uber India & South Asia, highlighted the program’s intent: “Uber Pro rewards drivers who provide a great service to riders by maintaining a high app rating and low-trip cancellations. It will go a long way in promoting the adaptation and continued use of the Uber platform and will improve the overall experience on the Uber app.”
Drivers begin at the Blue tier and can ascend by accumulating points from completed trips and meeting specific criteria. These points reset every three months. As drivers progress to higher tiers, they gain access to exclusive perks, including discounted vehicle maintenance, motor insurance, and microcredit offerings from third-party providers.
In an effort to reduce trip cancellations, Uber has been actively enhancing its backend technology. Manikandan Thangarathnam, senior director of mobility and platforms at Uber, explained, “We are revamping our backend tech to introduce upfront pricing and location details to drivers to bring down ride cancellations in India and across the world.”
The company has already implemented various features like customer ratings, different payment methods, and destination details. Furthermore, they are currently testing upfront pricing in select cities to gauge market reactions and address any potential imbalances.
