In a blog post on Thursday, 19 May, ride-hailing company Uber announced a series of policy changes aimed at improving the experience for drivers and riders.
This includes showing trip destinations to certain drivers before they decide to accept the ride.
"We understand the feeling you get when the driver calls and asks the dreaded question: 'Jana Kahan Hai' and then cancels the trip," wrote Nitish Bhushan, Head of Central Operations, Uber India and South Asia.
Inundated with customer complaints, the company hopes that these policy changes will reduce instances of drivers cancelling rides. However, some users are worried that the changes will lead to drivers not accepting short rides or rides to inconvenient locations.
Here's all you need to know.
What will Uber drivers be able to see before accepting rides?
Uber is now showing two new details to drivers before they decide to accept the ride:
Trip destinations
Mode of payment (cash or online)
Does this apply to every driver?
No. While the mode of payment will be visible to every driver, only drivers who meet a "predefined trip acceptance threshold" will be eligible to get the destination information so that they can make an "informed choice."
Uber says it will continue monitoring feedback from drivers and riders, and iterating on these thresholds over the coming few weeks. The upfront destination feature is already live across 20 cities and will be rolled out to all others.
Will I have to pay extra?
Possibly. Uber has introduced additional earnings for drivers in case they have to travel a long distance to pick up riders. Drivers will be able to see the earnings for long pick-ups displayed separately on their receipt.
This additional charge will be added to your bill.
Uber has already hiked its fares to cushion drivers from the impact of rising fuel prices across several Indian cities.
Won't the changes lead to drivers not accepting rides?
Uber drivers have been known to call up riders and ask them if they're paying in cash or through online payment method. Most drivers prefer cash because online payments aren't instantly credited to their accounts.
To make this "cash or online decision" irrelevant, Uber has introduced a daily pay process for drivers. This system will ensure that trip earnings from Monday to Thursday are credited to drivers the very next day, while earnings from Friday to Sunday are credited on Monday.
The company expects this measure, paired with making drivers aware of the mode of payment, to reduce the frequency of cancellations.
Why did Uber feel the need to do this?
Uber said it has been receiving complaints from both sides.
Drivers have shared concerns about earnings due to higher fuel prices, long-distance pick-ups, and payment schedules. Meanwhile, riders have complained about drivers canceling trips or not wanting to switch on the air conditioning.
The increased dissatisfaction is also reflected by the increase in complaints lodged with the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA).
The regulator said it has issued notices to cab aggregators Ola and Uber for unfair trade practices and violation of consumer rights, PTI reported.
According to the agency, the alleged unfair practices include ride cancellation policies, which lead to drivers forcing customers to cancel trips and pay the cancellation penalties.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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