News
Your Uber driver can now decide to give you a ride or not
Uber drivers are finally getting some new tools.
Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.
Uber is changing things for its drivers to give them more control. The features look to help both drivers have better control over their trips.
The new “Upfront fares” feature shows how much a driver will get paid and the rider’s destination. Another new feature called “Trip Radar” shows a selection of ride requests in their immediate area, so they can choose.
“Upfront fares” has been tested in select locations and show the total fare to drivers before they accept. That lets drivers decide whether a trip is worth it, possibly reducing the number of canceled trips.
“Trip Radar” shows a list of nearby ride requests, so drivers can choose one that makes sense.
Uber says the feature is “aimed at minimising average wait times for drivers and riders.” That could mean more trips while you’re on the road and larger earning potential.
Along with the new tools for picking up rides, Uber has announced a new way to pay for gas.
The Uber Pro Card is a debit card with a fee-free checking account that deposits drivers’ earnings automatically after trips. It also gives up to 7 percent cash back on gas purchases at select stations with Diamond status.
Uber is also expanding its premium electric car service to more cities across the US. At launch, Comfort Electric only worked in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Dubai. Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Denver, Austin, Philadelphia, and Baltimore join that list.
Comfort Electric uses only premium electric vehicles, like Tesla, Polestar, and the Ford Mustang Mach-E. Expect to pay 20 to 40 percent more than the cost of the same Uber X trip.
With more driver tools and an electric car expansion, the company is clearly making a big push to improve its service across the board.
Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.
Editors’ Recommendations:
- Uber used a shady trick called a ‘kill switch’ to evade police raids
- BMW now offers an $18 monthly subscription for heated seats
- Uber Eats is now testing autonomous robot delivery
- Delta’s new AI-powered screen shows personalized flight info, but how does it work?