Uber aims to recruit extra 20,000 drivers as demand increases following restriction easement

Ride-hailing firm Uber are looking to recruit an additional 20,000 private hire drivers in the UK as COVID restriction easements boost demand for service.

According to Uber, the minicab operators have seen a spike of more than 50% in demand since the easing of coronavirus restrictions earlier this month.

Step two of the Government’s Roadmap came in on 12 April, and saw the opening of non-essential retail; personal care premises such as hairdressers and nail salons; and public buildings, including libraries and community centres.

Indoor leisure facilities such as gyms also reopened (but only for use by people on their own or in household groups). Most outdoor attractions and settings including outdoor hospitality venues, zoos, theme parks, and drive-in cinemas could also open their doors again. Self-contained accommodation such as campsites and holiday lets, where indoor facilities are not shared with other households, also reopened.

Further restrictions are due to be eased over the next few weeks and months as Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government pursues a roadmap to unlock the economy.

Ride-hailing firm Uber only recently introduced new workers’ rights to its 70,000 private hire drivers. The operator is now treating their drivers as workers, earning at least the National Living Wage when driving with Uber.

Private hire drivers working on the platform are also now paid for holiday time and can be automatically enrolled into a pension plan if they are eligible.

The news follows a landmark Supreme Court ruling in March which handed victory to Uber drivers in their battle for worker rights.

According to Reuters, Jamie Heywood, Uber’s Regional General Manager Northern and Eastern Europe, said: “As cities open up and people start moving again, we are encouraging 20,000 new drivers to sign up.”