We Are Here to Support Mexico’s Economic Recovery: Uber

Q: How is Uber taking advantage of its position to drive a change in mobility in Mexico?

A: At Uber, we continue to innovate. We have invested more than US$1.5 billion in Mexico, with operations in almost 70 cities in 27 states, reaching over 8 million Mexicans and generating income for over 200,000 people.

As a company, our goal is to continue having a positive impact on Mexican lives and innovation is an important element in this objective. Technology has enabled us to be agile and launch a series of important mobility solutions, such as Transit, Uber & Transit, Uber Flash, Uber Planet, Ellas and more. All these solutions reinforce our commitment to smarter, inclusive, and more sustainable mobility.

Q: Uber recently announced an MX$710 million (US$36 million) incentive plan for drivers and delivery staff. What does investment entail?

A: This investment shows our commitment to the driver and delivery partners in Mexico.. We are aware of the role we play in the economy’s reactivation and the opportunities we can provide to support those who need additional income.

Uber Mexico has been launching a variety of incentives, promotions and strategies to sustain growth. Drivers who use our app have reported a 20 percent increase in profits from pre-pandemic levels. Our initiatives seek to incentivize drivers to come back to the platform to cater to the increasing demand we are seeing as mobility levels start recovering which will create additional opportunities for everyone.

We are leaving the pandemic behind. People gradually are resuming their activities, which brings opportunities for our partners. The incentives and opportunities we offer are not exclusive to major cities. Our incentives program will apply nationwide.

Q: How does Uber measure the success of partner drivers?

A: Partner drivers are at the heart of our business model. Uber works tirelessly to improve their experience with the app and our mission is to continue supporting their economic and professional development. Partners look at Uber as a way to generate additional income or even as their main source of income, leading us to improve our services. Uber Pro, for example, is a successful program that provides our most dedicated drivers more favorable conditions, from gasoline incentives to promotions in stores.

We work closely with our drivers and conduct workshops with them to understand their experiences and needs. Thanks to this exercise, we have developed Uber Avanza, an educational platform that offers courses in personal finance, such as budgeting and financial planning. The program was developed hand-in-hand with our drivers. It is crystal clear: If our drivers are successful, we are successful.

Q: What is your perspective on vehicle ownership versus ride-hailing?

A: We are aware that cities throughout the world are growing at unprecedented rates and technology is at the center of how they face new challenges. We are convinced that, through our platform and mobility expertise, we can play a fundamental role in new urbanism where mobility is more pleasant, accessible and sustainable.

We want to participate in alternative mobility models that deter the individual use of vehicles to reduce urban pollution and improve air quality, so everyone can enjoy public spaces. Uber’s commitment is to be fully sustainable by 2040. We believe in efficient, sustainable mobility and it is indeed becoming easier for individuals to live without a vehicle. We are seeing that the automotive sector is betting on hybrid and electric models that go hand-in-hand with a more sustainable mobility model.

Q: What is Uber Mexico’s approach toward sustainability?

A: Uber Planet is our first step in the sustainability revolution. In the US, we have Uber Green, which connects the user with an electric or hybrid vehicle. In Mexico, the availability of these vehicles is limited but through Uber Planet the user is helping offset the carbon footprint of the trip. We have allied with Anaconda Carbon, a broker that uses proceeds from Uber Planet to help us buy green bonds for conservation projects approved by the UN.

The next step will be to use these funds to help a certain percentage of our partner drivers to change their current ICE vehicles to hybrid or electric models. Uber Planet has surpassed all of our expectations in just three months. Users have traveled more than 12 million km with Uber Planet and acquired almost 4,000 tons of carbon credits.

Q: How advanced is Uber Transit’s project to integrate public transportation into the platform and what role will that play in the future of mobility?

A: We are committed to promoting multimodal mobility, so integrating other transportation systems is important. Done right, it will help us reduce the individual use of the automobile. Uber Transit and Multimodal help users to find alternative routes and complementary transportation that will help the user to move from one place to another. This service is operational in Mexico City and Guadalajara, where we connect to the subway and other transportation systems. Our platform enables inclusive, sustainable and efficient mobility while promoting economic recovery.

Q: Customers are paying close attention to safety and security. How has Uber Mexico addressed these concerns to improve the experience for both drivers and users?

A: Safety and security remain at the center of what we do. We take user’s concerns on vehicle safety and hygiene seriously and we have introduced systems to detect if the user and the driver are following preventive measures.

We also have a series of preventive measures in place. There is 24/7 support available for both the user and the driver. Our emergency kit performs a 911 call and is connected in real-time with the C5-security centers of five states. We also have ride-check that allows users to send an alarm if their trip is suddenly stopped or goes off course. We have also implemented encrypted audio recording that can be used should proof be necessary, pin security features to validate the assigned driver or user, trusted contacts and there are more features to come. Ellas, for example, has allowed women to feel safer using the platform and fostered their involvement. Security remains at the cornerstone of what we do.

Uber Technologies is a US company based in San Francisco that provides  mobility services in over 80 countries. In Mexico, the company operates in almost 70 cities.