After implementing a host of restrictions to make riders feel safe, Uber is finally demanding similar good behavior from Uber passengers. The company has announced that riders with poor ratings are in danger of being deactivated from the platform.
Launched so far in Canada and the US, Uber says riders whose ratings are less than the average for their city could be booted out of using the app. This is a huge change that could ultimately improve the level of trust on the platform.
For a long time, Uber’s rating system was basically a check on the driver. It allows Uber passengers to score their experience with drivers which could go a long way in influencing others to choose a particular driver.
So obviously, the feature works to the advantage of riders who sometimes helpfully give low scores to drivers with bad behaviours, bad choice of routes or poor driving. And drivers with ratings lower than 4.6 or their city’s average could get booted off the platform.
Nevertheless, some Uber passengers have displayed nasty behaviours towards drivers. Some are abusive, they damage drivers’ vehicles, always trying to cheat, steal or are straight up annoying.
Now, the focus on riders’ Uber rating helps relieve drivers from such nasty riders.
“Respect is a two-way street, and so is accountability,” says Uber’s Head of Safety Brand and Initiatives Kate Parker.
“Drivers have long been required to meet a minimum rating threshold which can vary city to city. While we expect only a small number of riders to ultimately be impacted by ratings-based deactivations, it’s the right thing to do,” says Kate.
The new feature is quite a breather for drivers, and it reminds people that Uber drivers are not employees, but drivers. And many Uber passengers in Nigeria often forget this, and it has gone a long way in affecting how they treat drivers.
Booting out riders with low ratings balances the system and could force riders to be more accountable now.
