You know the feeling when an Uber driver cancels the ride, and have you ever wondered why? A 70-year-old part-time Uber driver from the United States unwrapped the root cause- he has revealed that he earned more than USD 28,000 (which is more than Rs 23 lakh) last year (2022). This happened only by accepting less than 10 per cent of the ride requests he received during his driving hours and cancelling over 30 per cent of his rides.
Bill, the Uber driver, who started driving for extra money after retiring (six years ago). He mentioned that he chose to accept the request only when he felt was worth his time.
How much money did the Uber driver make?
He also revealed that he made over USD 28,000 after cancelling more than 1,500 trips, Insider reported.
Bill said, "I spend a lot of time saying no. I don't work unless we have a surge.”
How did Uber drivers make more than Rs 23 lakh?
This strategy which was adopted by Bill to earn this money was that he used to hang around the airport area and bars during the busy day hours to get high-paying rides at the peak hours.
Bill stated, “When a plane lands and people request Uber, the price jumps drastically. A 20-minute ride goes from $10 to $20 to $40 and sometimes $50. The driver gets just short of 50 per cent so a 35-minute ride can get you $30 to $60.”
What time did the driver choose to drive his Uber?
As per the 70-year-old Uber driver, the most common surge periods for him were between 10 PM and 2.30 AM on Fridays and Saturdays.
Also, Bill used to avoid ‘one-way rides’ which helped him make more money.
He further recalled an incident in which he drove a customer for nearly two hours from his city and got paid USD 27 (around Rs 2,246).
His strategies are however risky because Uber does not allow the drivers to cancel trips on the basis of the destination.
Was Bill right?
But ignoring the company’s policy, Bill focused on his strategy to make money and drove only when he got the financial benefit.
Bill said, "I drive to get out and don't need the money. I love it."
Inputs from IANS
