Uber is offering registration vouchers and other incentives for drivers as it faces record demand for travel and food delivery.
The San Francisco transportation company said Monday that total monthly bookings, including food delivery and passenger service, reached an all-time high in March.
In a government filing, the company said transport demand, which plummeted during coronavirus blockages last year, has recovered faster than expected, As daily covid-19 vaccines exceed 3 million per day in the United States.
Some people are still avoiding public transportation for fear of infection, which could further increase demand for services like Uber and Lyft.
Passenger bookings last month reached their highest level since last March, when infection rates began to close the country. Last month’s reserves reached an annual execution rate of $ 30 billion. Last year, Uber’s passenger business recorded $ 26.4 billion in gross bookings.
Food delivery, of course, has increased in the last year and in March Uber Eats deliveries reached an all-time high. With more regions opening restaurants to less capacity, this could be a positive sign for Uber, as it could indicate that some habits acquired during the pandemic may stick.
Food delivery has increased 150% since last March at an annualized rate of $ 52 billion, the company said.
Last week, Uber announced $ 250 million in enrollment bonuses and other benefits to attract more drivers. Many drivers surrendered last year when demand dried up, the company said. But demand now exceeds supply from on-duty Uber drivers, the company said.
In another advantage, Uber has partnered with Walgreens to make it easier for drivers to get vaccinated.
Driving professionally, however, can still be considered too risky by some. Last month, a woman was arrested on suspicion of spraying pepper on an Uber driver in San Francisco who was coughed and insulted after she demanded a passenger wear a mask.
Drivers may still be resisting to see if Uber will sweeten wages and benefits. Uber was forced to classify its drivers in the UK as workers last month – not self-employed – following a Supreme Court ruling there.
The company said Monday it has begun a historic claims deal for its UK drivers.
The shares of Uber Technologies Inc. they rose nearly 5% to $ 60.40 on Monday.