Uber wants to make its U.K. drivers’ lives “easier” by limiting the number of hours they can work.
In a letter to Parliament, Uber’s U.K. head of public policy Andrew Byrne outlined several initiatives the ride-hailing company plans to make in 2017, many of which focus on improving driver experience. “Our business will only be successful if drivers want to work with us,” the letter says.
Uber is planning to introduce a limit to the number of hours drivers are able to log in the U.K. Though it did not specify the cap, Uber says it will come up with an hours cut-off by this summer. The company already monitors drivers who work more than 56 hours per week, and the Uber app notifies all drivers to be safe and take breaks throughout the day. A quarter of Uber drivers in London log 40 hours per week or more, according to the letter.
Uber’s promise of an hours cap comes after several of its drivers told the U.K. Parliament’s Work and Pensions Committee that they were working long shifts to eke out a profit after Uber takes its cut for commission, insurance costs, and other expenses. One Uber driver told the legislature it is not uncommon for him to work as many as 100 hours per week.
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Uber dealt with this same problem in the U.S. last year when it instituted a cap for drivers in New York City. In an effort to combat driver fatigue, the tech company instituted a policy that would temporarily deactivate drivers who are on the road for more than 12 hours.
