I started by aligning on scope: Uber = cab aggregation and mobility platform, offering short-haul, long-haul, and intercity rides across multiple vehicle types. We’re investigating a 15% drop in total rides completed over six months, mostly gradual, across specific Indian cities.
Metric sanity: Total rides = completed rides where driver marks drop-off and rider sees the feedback screen. No changes in definition, data pipeline, or reporting tool. The drop was steady, not seasonal, and seen across platforms and user types, but geographically clustered.
External scan showed that competitors like Ola and TaxiForSure also saw similar softness, hinting this might be category-level and possibly city-specific. No regulatory or PR triggers were found, and Uber’s pricing and discounts remained consistent. So, I turned focus to new entrants or city-level disruptions.
Mapping the cities where the drop was steepest revealed overlap with BluSmart’s launch footprint. BluSmart, an EV-based ride platform, promises zero cancellations, fixed pricing, and premium EV fleet hygiene, directly addressing pain points Uber riders face with cancellations, surge pricing, and inconsistent car conditions. The biggest impact was visible in planned or scheduled rides (e.g., airport runs, long-haul pre-bookings), where reliability and price predictability matter most.
RCA (succinct): Total rides ↓ because planned rides ↓; planned rides ↓ because BluSmart captured reliability- and price-sensitive users in metros via an EV-first, zero-cancellation model.
Immediate actions (0–2 weeks):
Retain planned-ride users through stronger driver SLAs — “no-cancel” guarantee on scheduled rides.
Incentivize EV onboarding by partnering with existing fleet owners and offering onboarding bonuses.
Payment-linked rewards for repeat long-haul rides to rebuild habit among airport and commuter segments.
Follow-ups (2–8 weeks):
Launch “Uber Green” (EV-only) pilot with guaranteed fixed pricing and lower surge exposure.
Build driver incentive programs for reliability — tie bonuses to completed scheduled rides.
Explore airport and metro partnerships for dedicated EV pickup zones to restore convenience parity.
Macro hedge:
Tap into government EV subsidies to fast-track EV adoption within Uber’s driver network.
Run PR and marketing campaigns on sustainability + reliability (“Your ride, on time. Every time.”).
How I’d measure success:
North Star: Total rides completed ↑ back to pre-drop baseline, especially scheduled rides.
Leading indicators: % EV rides ↑, % scheduled rides completed without cancellation ↑, repeat rider rate ↑.
Counter metric: No increase in wait times or surge frequency.
One-liner summary I’d give in the room:
This wasn’t an internal ops or demand issue — it’s competitive displacement by BluSmart’s EV reliability proposition in key metros. Fix short-term leakage with stricter cancellation policies and loyalty incentives, while pivoting long-term toward an EV-backed, reliability-first offering to future-proof Uber’s position.