Your guide to maximising your earnings this busy season

The graph above shows the times in last years busy season when there were a high number of trip requests.

“I like to drive from 7:00 am – 9:30 am and 4:30 pm – 6 pm. On the weekends, I drive for most of the day until 11:00 pm.”
-Arjun, top driver-partner, Sydney

Different areas of the city are busy at different times. Below are useful tips on where and when you can drive to receive the most trips and maximise your earnings.

Driver-partners wait for approximately 20% less time between trips in areas with more trip requests vs areas with fewer trip requests.

On weekdays, more trip requests happen:

On weekends, most trip requests happen:

“In the mornings, I like to position myself in affluent suburbs that are 15-20 mins from the CBD. In the evenings, I stay near restaurants, pubs, and nightclubs.”
– Arjun, top driver-partner, Sydney.

Our data shows that most top partners tend to accept every possible trip.

“I tend to accept all trips, because I find even the small trips add up.”
– Garry, top driver-partner, Sydney.

From October to December, riders tend to be in holiday mode, going to Christmas parties, music festivals and events. Here are some quick tips to help you deal with the rare issues that may arise. And don’t worry- we’re setting clear expectations for riders as well.

Tip #1 – stay focussed

There is likely to be increased traffic in the later months of the year, particularly around event venues.  In these conditions, it’s particularly important that all drivers on the road stay focused on driving and follow the road rules closely.

Tip #2 – pick up and drop off where it’s safe to do so

Your safety is our priority. If a rider has requested a pickup from a location you don’t feel comfortable stopping, find somewhere safe to stop first, then it’s a good idea to call your rider and direct them to where you are. We’ve also let riders know to only request from safe and legal pickup spots.   

Tip #3 – end the trip or tap ‘?’ to reach support

In the rare case that a rider is being unreasonable or disrespectful, you can simply end the trip and let them out.

We have a 24/7 customer support service to help you at all times so be sure to also provide feedback via the app so we can respond accordingly – simply tap the ‘?’ icon in the app.

Tip #4 – the safety toolkit is at your fingertips

In the rare event of an emergency, you can use the Safety Toolkit feature to call the police. Just tap the ‘shield’ icon to call emergency services directly from the app.  

Making the most of airport trips

Most top partners say they turn back and head towards the city if there seem to be fewer trip requests than drivers at the airport. Some also have a look at what times flights tend to land and plan their airport pickups accordingly.

Rain can mean more ride requests

Top partners say unexpected changes in weather can mean more ride requests. Riders aren’t expecting it to rain in summer – so if it rains, chances are they are going to turn to Uber and it’s going to be busy on the roads.  

Big events can mean more ride requests

Big events can mean more ride requests. To stay up to date and find more trips, many top partners keep an eye on their email inbox, check their notifications to look out for big events.