Uber announces new programs and products for driver partners in India

Uber has announced the roll out of a series of product innovations, programs, and partnerships aimed at making driving for Uber an attractive choice for driver partners across India. In partnership with ICICI Lombard General Insurance, the policy provides driver partners with free coverage for accidental death and disablement, hospitalization, and outpatient medical treatment in case of an accident while online on the Uber App and are available for trip requests, en route or on a trip with Uber.

Here’s what’s new for Uber Driver Partners

• Insurance program

This program will provide driver partners (aged 18 to 65) of four-wheeled vehicles intended to carry passengers with coverage for accidental death and disablement, hospitalization and outpatient medical treatment in case of an accident while using the Uber App and are available for trip requests, en route or on a trip with Uber. The unique insurance cover will be offered for free to the driver partners, giving them peace of mind while enjoying the flexibility of independent work. This program is will go live as of September 1, 2017. The coverage offered includes INR 5 lakh in the event of death, up to INR 5 lakh for permanent disability, up to INR 2 lakh in the event of hospitalization, with a sub-limit of up to INR 50,000 for outpatient treatment.

• In-app Products 

Here are some of Uber’s newest and most recent product innovations for the driver app:

Driver Destinations: Two times in a day, drivers can input their destination and Uber will only send trip requests that are on their way helping reduce driver cancellations and unavailability. For instance, if the driver keys in Connaught Place and he is in Gurgaon, then he will get ride requests that match the route from Gurgaon to CP, he will not be sent in the opposite direction.

Back-to-Back Trips: Drivers receive their next trip request, while they are a couple of minutes away from completing their current trip. This helps reduce idle time for drivers and ensures riders get a car at the earliest.

Pause Requests: Uber introduced a pause button, so driver partners could grab lunch, get fuel or a take a quick break.

Heat Maps: The heat map provides drivers with recommended areas where they’re most likely to get their next ride depending on demand and supply at that location. So, they can save fuel and also time.

Telematics for Road Safety: This technology monitors and assesses driving patterns and helps provide feedback to driver partners. Uber will be able to share daily reports with partners on driving patterns, the speed of the vehicle and reminds them to take breaks and keep the phone mounted while driving.

Paid waiting time: A driver who reaches the rider’s pickup location and waits longer than a fixed duration will be eligible for the paid wait time. This ensures drivers earn on the Uber platform when they reach the rider’s pickup location and wait longer than a fixed duration for the trip to begin.

Cancellation window: The drivers can see a countdown timer in their app when they reach the rider’s pickup location. After waiting for a fixed duration, they may choose to cancel and will be eligible for Cancellation Fee.

In App Chat: This feature allows driver partners to message their rider once they reach the pickup destination. This means drivers no longer need to call a rider if they’re using In App Chat.

Driver Profiles & Compliments: This feature lets riders see the driver’s profile with details like total trips, compliments, and comments received from other riders. Riders also have the option to give compliment badges to the drivers based on the experience they had on the trip. This helps drivers see their performance in the form of badges received from riders.

To make the driver experience easier, hassle free and safer Uber has introduced several initiatives and partnerships nationally and regionally.

• UberSAMAAJ is Uber’s flagship driver community engagement program to encourage driver partners to share their concerns and work closely with them in finding a mutually agreeable solution.
• Uber announced that “Night Support” for driver partners would be extended from 12 hours (8 AM – 8 PM) to 18 hours (6 AM – 12 midnight) while continuing to offer emergency assistance from 12 midnight – 6 AM
• Programs like UberSHAAN and UberFAUJI help make the platform more inclusive. Uber has also launched a Driver skills training program in partnership with the National Skill Development Corporation.
• Uber also partnered with AISECT to pilot a program to create WhatsApp enabled modules to teach drivers basic English conversational skills

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