The ride-hailing service Uber in Ukraine is facing a shortage of partner drivers during peak hours due to the current challenges in the country. This is particularly noticeable an hour before the start of the curfew and in the first hour after its cancellation – from 5 to 6 AM, reported the press office of the global mobility and delivery platform Uber Technologies Inc.
"Currently, we are observing a lack of partner drivers during peak hours, which are also related to the curfew - between 5 and 6 AM and one hour before the curfew begins," it was noted in response to a request from the Interfax-Ukraine agency.
The company is unable to assess the scale of the impact that mobilization efforts have on its operations in Ukraine, but it is stated in a comment that "the full-scale war has significantly changed the Ukrainian ride-hailing market."
Among the factors affecting market dynamics, Uber highlighted the "curfew, which not only reduced the operating hours of the platform but also influenced how people move around the city."
"In these challenging circumstances, our priority is to maintain a balance between passenger demand and driver availability. This means not only attracting new drivers but also creating better offerings for existing partner drivers so that they are satisfied with the platform's conditions," said Uber in their response.
It was also reported that the platform is focusing on attracting women as partner drivers.
"Kyiv, which remains the largest Ukrainian city in terms of both the number of rides and the number of Uber partner drivers, also reflects these trends," Uber stated.
Previously, Matthew Devlin, head of international relations at Uber, informed the Interfax-Ukraine agency that after the full-scale invasion, the service suspended operations in Ukraine for only one week but then resumed as soon as it was assured that it was safe to operate in the country. Since then, the company has expanded its presence from nine Ukrainian cities to eighteen, doubling its footprint in Ukraine even during the full-scale aggression.
As of mid-2023, approximately 25,000 partner drivers were working with Uber in Ukraine.