Fraud, Safety, Others Force Uber to Publish Driver Deactivation Policy

"The higher the quality of the service, the more riders want to take trips, which in turn means more opportunities for drivers to earn money", Uber said as it made public its Driver Deactivation Policy.

The transporation 'disruptive app' company maintained that its goal: to provide reliable, affordable and safe transportation, is critical in guiding drivers' who signed up with the app.

"This can only happen if there’s trust on all sides, where riders feel safe with their driver and where drivers feel safe transporting their passengers", read a statement endorsed by Samantha Allenberg, head of Uber' Communications in Africa.

According to the company, it was easy to work with the first handful of drivers when Uber first launched in South Africa in 2013, but as they have launched more cities and grown in popularity across Africa it is important that every driver using the app understands processes and "we communicate in a consistent and transparent manner.

"Sometimes we have to restrict a driver’s access to the app but when that happens, even for a short period of time, it affects their earnings. So it’s extra important we make our policy clear.

"We’ve heard from drivers in the many focus groups we’ve held across Africa in recent months that they would like to know more about why deactivation might happen and how they can try to get access again. So we are publishing our Driver Deactivation Policy to demystify the process and provide clarity to drivers".

Allenberg said in the statement that the Driver Deactivation Policy is designed with the best interests of drivers and riders in mind.

"It covers, among other items, issues that relate to quality, fraud, safety and discrimination such as:

Quality
"The higher the quality of the service, the more riders want to take trips, which in turn means more opportunities for drivers to earn money. After every trip, riders and drivers rate each other with a star rating out of five - if that score is consistently low there is a problem. We also consider how regularly drivers cancel trips after accepting a booking as this leads to a poor experience for riders.

Fraud
"Fraud is bad for any business, so to keep riders coming back and to keep drivers driving, it’s important that services are fair and honest. That includes drivers understanding it is unacceptable to intentionally increase the time or distance of a trip.

Safety
"Uber is committed to the safety of both riders and drivers. This includes respecting each other's privacy - so not contacting each other except through the Uber app - and obeying the laws of the road.

Discrimination
"Uber will not tolerate discrimination of any sort, against riders or drivers. That includes race, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, sex, marital status, gender identity or age. On the side of the driver, this also includes respecting the transportation of people with disabilities, including service animals.

"By maintaining high standards, riders will return time after time and drivers will keep as busy as they want.

"The Driver Deactivation Policy helps to ensure the best possible experience for everyone," the statement concluded.