Faced with a panorama where job opportunities and salaries are scarce, the possibility of providing this transportation service is an increasingly seductive option, particularly for the youthful male segment.
Uber became a commonly used platform for the people of Tucumán. Although it is true that its legal situation is under discussion (it is questioned by different sectors of the transportation service), both users and drivers found in the application a possibility of satisfying their daily demands for transfers and generating income. In that sense, while passengers benefit from the cost of trips and Uber’s technological features, drivers take the opportunity to earn some money quickly and independently.
One of the great advantages that the service has for workers is that not many conditions are required to achieve qualification as a provider. Uber requires you to be over 18 years old; an updated criminal record certificate and the papers relevant to the driving of any vehicle: driving license, identification card, insurance and current vehicle technical verification. Although the car is an access barrier, the motorcycle is also available – as long as it is a 1999 model or newer – and is a modality demanded by the youth segment to work as well as a transportation option due to its agility and more accessible prices. , according to a company study published this year in the newspaper La Nación.
Uber Moto proved to be most popular among young people, although, unlike its rival, users are mainly men.
“I started working on the recommendation of a friend. I like to be independent, so I did the roles and it worked for me. I start the day at 5:30, continue until around 10 and do another four hours in the afternoon. I have no complaints, I really like the job and I do it,” he says. Sergio Nicolás González38, who debuted at Uber three months ago.
More confidence
In an eight-hour day, Sergio claims he earns between $15,000 and $20,000 per day. “I don’t work that much, otherwise I could earn more. The best time is in the morning because many people arrive late for work and the motorcycle is always one of the fastest options. When it rains we usually work well: Uber Auto rates go up and many prefer to choose us,” he says. Furthermore, the driver observes that there is increasing confidence in this type of transportation. “There used to be a lot of prejudices about traveling by motorcycle, but, over time, they disappear,” he points out.
One of the advantages that Uber has is that workers can select their schedules as they wish. Some choose to work only a few hours a week to earn extra money while others try to take advantage of as much time as possible to achieve greater income. “I do it from Monday to Monday, about 12 hours a day. I had lost my job and my wife encouraged me to try. I made a very big effort to buy a motorcycle and it is going quite well. Of course, I consider this to be temporary, but it did help me get out of a difficult situation,” he explains. Gustavo Cordobawho is 29 years old.
The 12-hour day allows Gustavo to earn a little more than $20,000 a day, according to his estimates. “There are days and days, the cold plays against us quite a bit. But the passenger likes the service, the motorcycle is much more agile to get into downtown traffic, and the trip is much less expensive than a taxi or bus. Mainly on weekends we work very well: Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings,” he details. In this way, by carrying and bringing passengers for eight hours a day and five days a week, he could earn a sum close to $85,000 per week, about $340,000 per month.
a small community
To deal with the different complications that arise during work days, Uber drivers organized and put together various support groups. According to Gustavo Córdoba, the community is key to addressing issues related to security. “At first I felt very exposed, I was quite afraid. I was working alone until I found a friend who also had the same problems and added me to a group. There we help each other a lot, mainly to take care of ourselves in case of any emergency,” he says.
In addition to accompanying each other in their daily tasks, the groups function as a kind of common space where drivers can organize collectively. In this way, in the face of legal and political pressure from other, more established formal groups (as is the case with taxi drivers), the group of Uber drivers can offer some type of resistance.
Uber’s legal situation
Since Uber has been available in Tucumán (a little over a year ago), various debates have been generated around its legal status. Unlike the case of taxis, neither the drivers nor their vehicles are formally registered to operate as a transportation service. “We pay the fee, license renewal, insurance for the passenger, and we are registered with Sutrappa and the Road Police,” he had emphasized. Omar Lopezrepresentative of taxi drivers, prior to the repeal of the law that regulated the private transportation service through electronic platforms.
A few days later, Osvaldo Jaldo (who was then temporarily in charge of the Government), referred to the controversy: “no one can work illegally. Those of us who have the responsibility of fighting for passenger safety are the Government of the province and the Municipality of the Capital, that is, not everyone can transport people. The provision of a public service to transport people must be authorized by the competent authority.”
While Jaldo announced that there would be penalties for drivers caught red-handed, the app continued to operate, albeit with precautions. For the moment and despite the fact that their situation is disputed, Uber drivers are managing to make their way, something that has already been happening in other places. The motorcycle has an additional advantage: there are so many of them in Tucumán, that it is easier to go unnoticed.
