The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Q&A : Janet C. Kemboi, Uber Communications Associate for East Africa, Janet C. Kemboi answered questions from The Independent’s Juddie Kirungu.
What are your major challenges so far and how are you overcoming them?
There are always challenges when launching a new city – GPS & mapping, traffic congestion ensuring there is enough supply to meet the demands – but we are working hard every day to ensure we can connect riders and drivers to a seamless experience.
How would you rate your performance?
We are really excited about the opportunities in Uganda, there is so much potential in this country. The uptake since we launched this year has been amazing, riders and drivers are loving having another choice on how to move around their city. In Kampala we have partnered with a significant number of drivers and provided them with the tools to build their own small businesses. We have enable hundreds of economic opportunities across Kampala and believe we can enable thousands more in the coming years.
There is a rumor of competition joining the market, are you ready for that?
We do not focus on competitors but rather spend our time thinking about how we can better the experience for riders and driver-partners. However, Uber loves competition as it offers more choice to customers, improves safety and service, and encourages innovation.
Competition and choice mean we all have to up our game, and constantly innovate to improve our service and quality. We believe our customers should be allowed more choice in the way they travel, and more choice that’s affordable. Our focus is on reliability, flexibility and opportunity.
How many drivers have registered with you?
We don’t disclose exact figures, but we have enable hundreds of economic opportunities across Kampala and believe we can enable thousands more in the coming years.
In Nairobi when competition joined the market, you lowered the transport prices, is that something you would do here?
We cannot ascertain that at the moment. We always look at partner and rider economics. We want to make sure Uber is an affordable and reliable way for riders to move around their city and that there is demand from riders, because more demand means more trips for drivers. When necessary, Uber implements price cuts to increase trip volume, which means more riders who pay less while drivers earn the same or more. Price cuts can be temporary or permanent, depending on their effect on perceived driver earnings
What happens to a driver who gets bad ratings?
We have a set of community guidelines that set the behavior expected from both riders and drivers. After every trip, drivers and riders rate each other on a five-star scale and give feedback on how the trip went. This two-way system holds everyone accountable for their own behavior. Accountability helps create a respectful, safe environment for riders and drivers. Drivers can see their current rating in the ratings tab of the Uber Partner app. There is a minimum average rating in each city and Uber will alert driver-partners over time if their rating is approaching this limit and try to give you as much feedback as possible on areas in which they can improve based on feedback from riders. If driver’s average rating still falls below the minimum after multiple notifications, their account will be deactivated. Their account may be reactivated on the platform after drivers provide proof of the steps they’ve taken to improve, for example by taking a quality improvement courses in person or online. If their account has been reactivated, drivers will need to maintain a rating above the minimum average rating requirement in their specific city. Each city has a maximum cancellation rate, based on the average cancellation rate of drivers in that area. Uber will alert the driver-partner multiple times if their cancellation rate is much higher or if they are cancelling more often than other drivers in your city, after which they may not be able to go online for a short period of time. If their cancellation rate continues to exceed the maximum limit, their account may be deactivated. To promote transparency, the above guidelines were made available and public in our deactivation policy that explains the circumstances in which drivers are denied access to Uber and how (if at all) they can use the app again. There will always be unforeseen events that may ultimately lead to deactivation – but the following are sufficient cause for deactivation: quality; fraud; safety and discrimination.
Are you planning to expand to other cities and how soon?
Uber’s ambition is to be everywhere – any progressive, forward-thinking city that has a need for safe, reliable and efficient transportation, we want to be there. We are part of a broader mobility movement, establishing smart cities of the future and we are constantly exploring our options of where to go next.
We see that in Kenya and Nigeria you have partnered with financial institutions to give car loans to your drivers are you planning to do the same here and when?
We are always looking to partner with great companies across Kampala to provide tools for Ugandans to get started with their own small businesses.
Word on the street is that most drivers are leaving Uber because you no longer give them the incentives that you used to, why is that?
In an era of stagnant wages and rising cost of living, Uber is improving the livelihoods of our driver-partners. Uber has enabled driver-partners grow their business – and be their own bosses. From former matatu/taxi drivers to employed driver-partners to self-employed driver-partners. Driver-partners love riding with Uber because it is flexible, reliable and safe. Driving with Uber is entrepreneurship on-demand, it is work that fits around the driver-partners lives and not the other way around . We have created thousands of economic opportunities where driver-partners have total flexibility and autonomy – they can work when, where and how they want. We have established channels of communication and anyone can speak to us at any time. There are many ways driver-partners can let us know if they have any individual concerns.
The drivers are also complaining that when you came in Uganda and did the pricing, you did not consider the state of the roads in the region, so most times they end up spending more than they earn on car maintenance. How are you planning to handle that?
Uber partners with drivers to provide a flexible and reliable alternative to making a living. It’s that simple. We are always looking at partner and rider economics. We want to make sure Uber is an affordable and reliable thus ensuring demand from riders because more demand means more trips for drivers which means drivers earn more.
Drivers were also complaining that some of their transactions do not reflect on their weekly reports when they go to pick their money, why is that?
The Uber platform bills by time, distance or both which common are pricing models in taxis and other transportation options. We believe that riders and drivers should have certainty and control around prices so that they can make informed choices about when and how to use Uber. That’s why we make it easy for riders to obtain a fare estimate upfront, both in the app and on the city website, and provide a complete electronic receipt at the end of every trip. Uber driver-partners can see details of their trips in their partner profile. Driver-partners receive their payments electronically wired on a weekly basis.
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editor@independent.co.ug
