Ride-hailing giant Uber has introduced Uber Pro, a rewards programme for cab drivers. 

Drivers plying their vehicles in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Delhi NCR, Kolkata, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Guwahati and Jaipur will be able to enroll in the programme.

Drivers in these cities will be eligible for Uber Pro if they have a customer rating of more than 4.8 and low trip cancellations. The move will enable Uber to curb ride cancellations by drivers and ensure a streamlined experience for end-users. 

Uber India and South Asia’s director of operations Shiva Shailendran said, “We are committed to providing a great ride experience for riders and drivers each time they choose Uber. Uber Pro rewards drivers who provide a great service to riders by maintaining a high app rating and low trip cancellations. It will go a long way in promoting the adaptation and continued use of the Uber platform by top-rated drivers.”

In a statement, the company said that Uber Pro has four tiers – blue, gold, platinum and diamond – with diamond being the highest possible tier. A new driver starts with a blue tier status and moves up by earning points on every completed trip and meeting other criteria.

The points reset every three months, so the drivers’ tier status is determined on a rolling period of three months. 

The ride-sharing giant also announced a slew of perks for diamond and platinum cab drivers, which include area preference, priority support, automatic Premier eligibility and discounts on periodic service maintenance. 

Drivers, across all tiers, will also be eligible to avail differential enhanced microcredit limits (up to INR 20,000, INR 15,000, INR 10,000, and INR 8,000 for diamond, platinum, gold, and blue tiers, respectively). All Uber Pro drivers are also eligible for discounted premiums for life, health, and motor insurance.

The clutch of offerings are likely part of Uber’s strategy to rein in ride cancellations and increase the stickiness of drivers to the platform. The initiative will also offer Uber’s drivers an avenue to pad their incomes as they grapple with rising aggregator commissions, diminishing per-ride margins and increasing fuel costs.

Owing to this, there has been a spurt in a myriad of issues such as ride cancellations, demands of cash payments, dirty cabs, among others, which, in turn, impacts user experience. The rewards initiative could very well be Uber’s answer to Ola Prime and the growing competition from Namma Yatri in Bengaluru – which charges drivers INR 25 per day for unlimited rides. 

Meanwhile, Uber continues to ramp up operations in the country. The company recently announced the launch of Uber Shuttle in Kolkata, a bus service for office goers in the city. Uber signed an agreement with the state transport department for the bus service during the Bengal Global Business Summit.

The ride-hailing giant added that it would invest $10 Mn (around INR 83 Cr) in West Bengal by 2025 and create around 50,000 livelihood opportunities over the next five years.