Uber Boosts UK Fares to Attract London Drivers

Uber has plans to boost rates in the U.K., with a 5% increase in London fares as the company tries to draw in more drivers, a Bloomberg report said.

The prices will be boosted by different rates depending on the city, and Uber’s goal is to get 8,000 more drivers in London to meet demand in the capital.

This comes after there was a mass loss of Uber drivers which resulted in a shortage of rides in London. Those who had worked for the app were moving onto other jobs for Just Eat Takeaway, Amazon or others.

Uber spent that time trying to get drivers to come back after the pandemic’s shutdowns.

The GMB labor union reportedly took the credit for getting the raise in a separate statement on Monday.

Uber had recognized the U.K. union in 2021 after a Supreme Court ruling in the country made it so Uber had to recognize a group of its drivers as workers. There was also vacation and minimum wage rights granted for all 70,000 drivers in the country.

Uber has been making other changes to its business model as of late, including Uber Eats teaming with The Body Shop to expand same-day delivery in the U.S., PYMNTS wrote.

Read more: Uber, The Body Shop Expand Delivery Pact as Demand for Same-Day Service Rises

The companies already had an existing partnership as of 2020, with six pilot locations on the Uber Eats and Cornershop apps, which will now be expanded to 75 of the beauty company’s storefronts. It will let The Body Shop’s hair, body and skincare products be purchased via Uber Eats.

“Beauty is an exciting space for us, and expanding with The Body Shop, a beauty industry staple for over 40 years, will allow us to bring on-demand cosmetic and personal care items to even more people across the country,” Christian Freese, head of new verticals for Uber Eats in the U.S. and Canada, said in the press release.