Uber will introduce a cap on the number of hours drivers can work in the UK after MPs criticised working conditions and raised concerns about safety risks from working long hours.
Drivers will be forced to log out of the app and will be unable to accept rides for six hours after 10 hours of trips.
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The troubled ride-hailing firm has erred on the lower end of hours, having considered whether the level should be set at 10 or 12 following a probe by MPs into the gig economy.
The tech company told them that the average number of hours worked by its 50,000 drivers is 30 per week. A third are logged in for more than 40 hours a week and 16 per cent for fewer than 10 hours, while 2.6 per cent were logging more than 70 and 0.8 per cent more than 80. Uber has said that logged in time does not equate to driving time.
In December, chair of the business, energy and industrial strategy committee, Rachel Reeves, demanded further information from Uber on how its efforts to limit hours would work in practice. The new driver hours policy will come in from next week.
“Licensed drivers who use our app really value the freedom and flexibility to choose if, when and where they work. And while drivers only spend an average of 30 hours a week logged into our app, we want to do our part to ensure they don't drive tired," said Uber's head of policy Andrew Bryne.
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“That's why we’ve been sending drivers regular reminders to take rest breaks and why we’re now bringing in these new limits. On top of features like GPS tracking of every trip it's another example of how Uber uses technology to help enhance driver and passenger safety."
The move also comes amid scrutiny of Uber's safety record, which has been cited by Transport for London as a reason for its decision not to renew its licence to operate in London.