Our latest improvements in response to feedback from drivers

Riders who want to reward great service will now have the option to tip their driver through the app after each trip. This means riders don’t need to carry cash if they want to tip their driver. In-app tipping will launch across the UK tomorrow and is also being rolled out on UberEATS.

Drivers’ time is valuable and every minute spent waiting for a rider means less time driving and making money. That’s why — from two minutes after the driver arrives at the pick-up point — riders will pay 20p for every further minute they keep their driver waiting (uberXL, EXEC and LUX trips will be either 20p or the relevant per minute rate — whichever is higher). This change will be rolled out across the UK on 22 August.

Currently if a rider cancels a trip within five minutes of being allocated a car they do not pay a cancellation fee. Following feedback we feel this is too long as drivers are well on their way to the pick-up point and have already invested time and fuel. That’s why we’re reducing the rider cancellation time so if a rider cancels two minutes after being allocated a car they will now pay the cancellation fee (though this won’t apply if a driver is running five minutes behind the original ETA). If a rider cancels on their driver two minutes after they’ve arrived at the pick-up point they will only pay the cancellation fee and not waiting time charges. This change will be rolled out across the UK on 22 August.

Drivers are totally free to choose which trips they want to take. At the moment, drivers can either confirm a trip request from Uber or wait for the request to time out (after 10—20 seconds). Some drivers have told us that they would rather not have to wait if they do not want to take the trip, which is why we’re introducing a ‘No thanks’ button. This is good news for riders too as the request gets passed on to another driver sooner meaning shorter waiting times. If a driver doesn’t confirm a trip request three times in a row, the app will assume they aren’t available at that time and automatically log them out. However, drivers can simply log straight back in if they choose.

If drivers need to go to a particular part of town – perhaps because they’re heading home or need to get to an appointment – our Driver Destinations feature matches them with a passenger going the same way. From today our new Arrival Time feature will go live across the UK so drivers can not only select their destination but also the time they need to get there. We’re also tripling the number of times drivers can set a destination in the app to six times a day.

When a driver on UberXL or EXEC is logged into the app, not only are they offered UberXL and EXEC trips, but uberX trips too. While they are free to not take the uberX trips offered, some drivers have told us they don't want to be offered them at all. That’s why we are introducing a new feature so that drivers can easily switch between being open to all trips including uberX or only UberXL/UberEXEC trips. This gives drivers even more control over how they use our app.

While the rider and driver rating system ensures mutual respect between riders and drivers, we know how frustrating it can be for drivers if they receive a low rating for something out of their control, such as an issue with the app. We will now remove these from a driver’s overall rating. This means the rating is a more accurate reflection of the service a driver has provided.