The past couple years, Uber's been scrambling to fix their driver shortage. They've kinda dropped the ball on the actual ride experience. I've been waiting way longer than I should for rides. Looks like they're finally ready to tackle this:

Uber says its chronic shortage of drivers is finally in the rear-view mirror, allowing it to focus on passenger complaints such as cancellations and wait times, according to a top executive at the global ride-hailing group.

The company's ten largest markets, which together make up more than three-quarters of its bookings, all saw month-on-month driver growth in August, said Andrew Macdonald, Uber's head of mobility. "That is indicative of a broad-based trend we are seeing around the world," he added. Globally driver supply is up 70 per cent year-on-year, while the UK hit 85,000 active Uber drivers in August, the highest number ever on the country's roads.

Resolving its driver shortage has allowed Uber to turn its attention to addressing other customer complaints, including long wait times and drivers who cancel after initially accepting a trip, said Macdonald, a 10-year Uber veteran who took over global responsibility for its ride-hailing business in 2019.

Source: FT

Good progress. More drivers means better earnings for those already driving, shorter wait times for riders, and Uber can finally fix the cancellation problem.

This operational improvement laid the groundwork for Uber's profitability in 2023—fixing the driver shortage meant better unit economics and a sustainable business model.