Earn on your own schedule

Make the most of your time on the road

1October,2017 / Australia

Here’s how to maximise your earnings through the peak season in Sydney.
During the festive season of November and December, we usually see demand for rides increasing. What does this mean for you? Hopefully, more trips!
You may start to notice some of these trends beginning in October and ramping up through to the end of the year – the first three weeks of December are typically our busiest.
But when to drive, and where to? Here are some facts and figures from last year to help you make the most of your time on the road during the warmer months.

Weekday morning trends
Thinking about driving during the weekday mornings? Here are three handy facts for Monday to Friday commute chasers.
1. Peak hours are 5am – 9am. In 2016, gross hourly fares during the weekday morning rush were similar to Friday evenings on average.
2. Weekday morning hotspots for requests are the Eastern Suburbs, with riders heading to work in the CBD and North Sydney or to the airport.
3. On Mondays, the roads can get busy as early as 4am, with many people heading to the airport. Stay up to date with the latest Sydney Airport traffic arrangements.
4. Mornings tend to get busier later in the week, with Friday being the busiest (see graph below).
Hot tip: The Eastern Suburbs are still the busiest during the weekday morning commute, but the biggest growth in trip requests from winter months to the festive season in 2016 was actually in Balmain!

Increase in requests during weekday mornings, June and July vs. November and December 2016.

Trip requests in Sydney have continued to grow strongly throughout 2017, and based on previous years we’ve noticed that the rate of growth increases even more in the festive season.

Locations where there were more people requesting rides than could get one in November and December 2016.
Weekday evening trends
Prefer to go online during weekday evenings? Here are some tips for the evening experts.
1. Peak hours are 5pm – 10pm. In 2016, gross hourly fares during weekday evenings were nearly 20% higher on average in November and December than in June and July.
2. Unsurprisingly, the key weeknight hotspots during these warmer months were the CBD and North Sydney, with many people requesting a ride home from work or after dinner or social events.
3. Wednesday and Thursday night peak hours extend til 11pm as many people stay out later during the warmer months.
Hot tip: In 2016, weekday evenings were over 1.5x busier in festive season than in winter. In addition to the CBD and Bondi, suburbs to watch out for are Pyrmont, North Sydney, Neutral Bay, Surry Hills, and Newtown, as well as Macquarie Park in the earlier evening hours.

Hotspots in June and July 2016 vs. November and December 2016, Monday – Thursday evening 5pm – 10pm.
Weekend trends
It’s no secret that weekends are a great time to drive, especially in the warmer months when people tend to start their days earlier and stay out later.

Fridays
1. 11am – 2pm: The Friday lunchtime rush in 2016 was nearly 2x as busy during the festive season than winter, especially in the CBD.
2. 4pm – 7pm: People head home from work or out for dinner on Friday nights. Festive season 2016 showed a sharp increase in requests during these hours, so there’s an opportunity for more trips!
3. 10pm – 3am: Friday late nights had average gross hourly fares that were nearly 30% higher during peak season than in winter in 2016.
Saturdays
1. 12pm – 6pm: In 2016, average gross fares were nearly 20% higher per hour at the end of the year than during winter.
2. 5pm – 7pm: Saturday dinnertime rush across the Eastern Suburbs, CBD, Inner West, and Lower North Shore had the second-highest gross hourly fares on average of any period in the week!
3. 10pm – 3am: Saturday late nights can be the busiest time of the entire week. In 2016, average gross hourly fares and the total number of trip requests were both significantly higher in festive season than in winter, even with normal growth factored in.
Sundays
- Peak hours are 11am – 3pm and 5pm – 10pm. Average gross hourly fares were over 20% higher during Sunday peaks in the festive season of 2016 compared to winter.
Hot tip: Sundays can be a great time to drive. Perhaps surprisingly, during November/December last year Sunday earnings were comparable to earnings during the Friday evening rush.

Weekend hotspots during June and July 2016 vs. November and December 2016.

One final trend not to overlook: summer rain! When it rains in Sydney we typically see a significant increase in the number of trip requests with people trying to stay dry as they move from A to B.

The festive season is nearly here and Sydneysiders and tourists alike are out and about all over the harbour city. Whether it’s to or from work, around the city on the weekend, or for a night out, people are increasingly looking to Uber for a reliable ride.

Posted by Miguel Blanca

Category:

Drive