E-hailing taxi service Uber will add some of the most requested features to the driver side of the app, which will give driver-partners more control of when, where and how they drive.
The four new features are arrival destination and time, long trip notification, 'no thanks' button and rating protection.
Alon Lits, Uber Sub-Saharan Africa GM, says: "Over the last few months, we've spent a lot of time listening to and engaging with over 12 000 driver-partners across South Africa, hearing what they care about when using the Uber app.
"The feedback we got was monumental and driver-partners have been very clear on what they need. Based on these discussions, we will be rolling out products that can address three keys areas: more flexibility for drivers when it comes to when they want to use Uber, using our technology to create a stress-free experience, and building on safety."
The arrival destination and time feature lets drivers set the time they want to arrive at their final destination - this could be their child's school or home address. The app will then notify them when it is time to head in that direction and try connect them with a trip along the same path.
Long trip notification lets drivers know before they accept a trip if the estimated trip time is 45 minutes or longer.
The 'no thanks' button allows drivers flexibility to turn down trips without having to wait for the trip request to timeout as it has done so until now.
Rating protection does not count low ratings given by passengers who score the driver low because of reasons beyond the driver's control - such as app bugs.
The company says it will continuously upgrade the app to address driver concerns.
Uber also recently added 'driver share my trip', a safety feature that allows drivers to share their whereabouts and trip status with friends and family.
Share