Uber Appoint New UK General Manager
Uber announced in a press release this week that they have appointed a new UK General Manager. Andrew Brem, has taken the reins for Uber’s UK operations, following the granting of a new 30-month licence by TfL.
Previous UK General Manger, Ash Kebriti, has taken a new role at Uber’s European headquarters.
Brem has previously worked as an executive for Aviva and, most recently, British Airways. He brings with him over 30 years of experience leading commercial operations. In a statement he said:
“Uber is one of the most exciting technology companies in the world as it continues to change the way we move around our cities.
“The UK has led the way globally in driving forward Uber’s electrification efforts, as well as providing all UK drivers with worker protections such as holiday pay and a pension in what was an industry first.
“These are just some of the major achievements that I have seen in recent times, and when you combine that with a strong commercial resilience born out of a challenging period during the pandemic, this was an opportunity that I simply could not turn down.
“I can’t wait to lead the next chapter for Uber in the UK”
Brem has taken the helm of UK operations at an interesting time for Uber, as they continue their expansion across the country.
Continuing their expansion
Over the past 18 months, Uber have been increasing the availability of their services by partnering with local operators around the UK. This ‘Local Cab’ offering allows Uber customers to book a journey via the Uber app.
Since its introduction, it has been met with mixed reviews and even protests in some cases. However, the roll out of Local Cab services shows no sign of slowing down. 9 more locations have been announced this week.
In Southampton, Pontefract, Weston-super-Mare, Newport and Bristol, customers will be able to choose between their usual Uber services or book a cab with a local operator.
In West Dunbartonshire and Helensburgh, Banbury, Canterbury and Essex (Benfleet and Canvey Island), customers will be able to use the Uber app to book a journey with a local operator.
With the addition of these 9 locations, Uber now have a Local Cab offering in over 40 UK locations.
Frustrated Riders
Despite the expansion, like everyone else in the industry, Uber are struggling to service demand. According to Uber’s General Manager for Northern and Eastern Europe, booking requests are up by more than 10%. But driver numbers are lower than ever.
Many drivers who lost work during the pandemic have retrained or found other driving work. These drivers are showing no signs that they are planning on returning to the industry.
Uber have said that they plan on recruiting 20,000 new drivers to the platform by 2023, but this seems ambitious considering the industry at the moment. It seems that the new UK General Manager is going to have his work cut out trying to achieve this.
But what’s bad news for Uber is often good news for other cabbies. With frustrations mounting at long wait times and fare cancellations, black cabs and local operators are the ones that benefit.
Where people have previously relied on Uber, their increasing unreliability means that customers are returning to more traditional methods of transport.