Travis Kalanick, the founder and CEO of Uber resigned on Tuesday.
In 2009, Kalanick was partly responsible for building the ride app service into a ground transportation empire. Since then, the company has struggled to transform from a start-up to one that earns consistent profits.
The New York Times reported that Kalanick fell under pressure from Uber’s investors. Uber's board confirmed his resignation in a statement, saying that Kalanick is taking time to heal from the death of his mother in a boating accident "while giving the company room to fully embrace this new chapter in Uber's history."
On the same day of Kalanick's exit, the company released a letter titled, "180 Days of Change," which states:
For the next 180 days (and beyond), we’ll be making meaningful changes to the driving experience. Some changes will be big, some will be smallーall will be changes drivers have asked for.
Why now? Because it’s the right thing to do, it’s long overdue, and there’s no time like the present. This is just the beginning. We know there’s a long road ahead, but we won’t stop until we get there.
Changes include:
| 1.Tipping is Coming |
| Tipping is available in Seattle, Minneapolis and Houston as of today. We're starting with only 3 cities so we can create the best tipping experience for you and your riders. We'll be adding more cities over the next few weeks, and will make tips available to all U.S. drivers, by the end of July 2017. Of course, Uber service fees are never deducted from your tips. Learn more. |
| 2. Shorter 2 Minute Cancellation Window |
| You'll receive a cancellation fee if your rider cancels after more than 2 minutes (down from 5 minutes previously). |
| 3. No More Unpaid Wait-times |
| You will earn a per-minute rate if you wait for a rider, starting 2 minutes after arrival. |
| 4. All Driver Destination Trips Count Toward Quest |
| Every trip you take now counts toward reaching your Quest total. |
| 5. Quest Earnings are Available for Instant Pay |
| You can now immediately cash out your Quest earnings using Instant Pay. |
| 6. Expanded Driver Destinations |
| You can now set two trips a day going your way and earn with every mile. |
| 7. Driver Injury Protection Insurance |
| You have the option to help protect yourself, and your earnings, in the event of a covered accident. To help you take advantage of this option, you will earn a bit more per-mile. For costs, complete coverage details, and state availability via Aon, tap here. |
| 8. Teen Fare |
| For teen account trips, $2 will be added to the base fare and you'll earn more for those rides. |
