Uber’s Driver Evaluation: A Flawed and Exploitative System

This is without a doubt a bogus business fed by Uber with wrong incentives to **** people.

It is always a problem when a business can earn more money by exploiting vulnerable people. Uber’s driver evaluation process seems designed to do just that—milking hardworking South Africans trying to make an honest living.

I intended to sign up my cars to an Uber fleet to create jobs and opportunities for fellow South Africans. Unfortunately, the sign-up process for Uber is nothing short of a nightmare. The platform appears far more interested in consumers than the drivers who make the service possible. Despite my frustrations, I decided to persevere.

However, I was baffled to learn that even though I didn’t plan to drive myself, I was required to sign up as a driver first. This led me to deal with one of the most unprofessional, egoistic and childish evaluators I’ve ever encountered—Sibusiso, based in Johannesburg. Shockingly, he seemed more focused on tricking me into failing than conducting a fair evaluation. For instance, he deliberately didn’t wear his seatbelt, just so he could claim I do not care about passenger safety, really? It felt like a petty attempt to generate revenue for his masters. What a shame!

What makes it worse is that other instructors working on the day had no issue wearing their seatbelts. Is this how Uber controls the number of active drivers or profits off those who are trying to join?

Ironically, Uber’s current drivers seem to be getting more reckless by the day. I’ve personally reported incidents of speeding, and in one case, a driver hit something while dropping me off. As expected from a company like Uber, nothing was done.

In hindsight, I am grateful to Sibusiso and his ego. He inadvertently helped me realize how flawed the Uber business model is. Imagine me struggling to sign up, paying extra money to deal with petty evaluations, and constantly worrying about the security of my cars and drivers in a high-crime environment. How naïve I was to think this was a worthwhile investment?!

For those who need Uber to make a living, I truly sympathize. Sadly, this system seems rigged against them. To the Uber team: I hope you sleep well at night knowing you profit off the struggles of others.

As for Uber’s future? They might dominate our streets for now, but time will tell if they can sustain this model. As for me and my cars, I will run my own shuttle business which only requires a greenlight from the government and not these clowns.