Arab Times

drivers wanted: Record demand at Uber as vaccinatio­ns rise

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Uber is offering sign-up bonuses and other incentives for drivers as it faces record demand for rides and meal delivery.

The San Francisco ride-hailing 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 demand for ride-hailing, which plunged during coronaviru­s lockdowns last year, has recovered more quickly than expected as daily COVID-19 vaccinatio­ns exceed 3 million per day in the US.

Some people are still avoiding public transporta­tion out of infection fears, potentiall­y boosting demand for services like Uber and Lyft further.

Passenger bookings last month reached the highest level since last March, when spiking infection rates began to shut the country down. Bookings

last month hit an annual run rate of $30 billion. Last year, Uber’s passenger business recorded $26.4 billion in gross bookings.

Food delivery, of course, has surged over the past year and in March Uber Eats deliveries hit an all-time high. With more regions opening restaurant­s to at least partial capacity, that could be a positive sign for Uber as it could signal that some habits acquired during the pandemic may stick.

Food delivery jumped 150% from last March to an annualized run rate of $52 billion, the company said.

Last week, Uber announced $250 million in sign-up bonuses and other perks to lure more drivers. Many drivers gave up last year when demand dried up, the company said. But demand now exceeds the supply of Uber drivers on call, the company said.

 ??  ?? In this file photo, travelers, Kerri Ann Salomon (left), and a friend arriving from New York City, look for an Uber ride at Los Angeles Internatio­nal Airport. Uber is trying to lure drivers with sign-up bonuses and other incentives as it faces record demand for rides and meal delivery. (AP)
In this file photo, travelers, Kerri Ann Salomon (left), and a friend arriving from New York City, look for an Uber ride at Los Angeles Internatio­nal Airport. Uber is trying to lure drivers with sign-up bonuses and other incentives as it faces record demand for rides and meal delivery. (AP)

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