Uber South Africa is now offering existing driver-partners with a new full maintenance lease programme in partnership with Wesbank.
The programme, valued at R200 million ZAR, the partnership marks South Africa as one of the first companies outside of the US to offer a vehicle lease offering.
To qualify for the lease of a vehicle, Uber drivers are required to have been registered on the service for more than three months, must have completed more than 1,000 trips, and must have an Uber rating of 4.7 or higher.
Chris de Kock, the CEO of Wesbank, was quoted as saying that “We have recognised Uber’s ability to disrupt and transform the transport industry, while creating work opportunities for thousands of people across the world.”, while citing that the majority of South Africa’s population has a low credit rating, stating that “60% of all vehicle finance applications are denied.”
The news follows tensions surrounding Uber SA earlier this year, which saw the company come under fire as Taxi unions lobbied against Government’s slow regulation of the new industry created by the service.
Now, Uber drivers who fulfill the above criteria will be able to proceed with a short-term rental programme that enables them to rent an accepted vehicle that meets Uber standards at a preferential rate. Drivers will be allowed to use these vehicles to build their earnings and quality record to qualify for a full maintenance lease programme.
“People using Uber to get around have come to expect a reliable, affordable ride in a high quality car. We’ve seen many great drivers, who want to use Uber to boost their earnings but struggle to afford a vehicle that meets these standards,” Alon Lits, the General Manager of Uber SA was quoted as saying.
What are your thoughts on Uber’s partnership with Wesbank? Is the move a novel attempt to provide budding Uber drivers with the means to secure a healthy income? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Source: IT Web
