1
HOW DO THE
APPS WORK?
Understanding algorithms in e-hailing
A practical 1-hour training for women commercial drivers
ALGORITHM
trip
price
rating
account access
WCDA-K | FORGE Fund: Democracy at Work Project
2
TRAINING FLOW
45 minutes learning + 15 minutes discussion
Women Driving Change
1
What algorithms are and why they matter
2
How apps allocate trips, set prices and track performance
3
Ratings, cancellations, deactivation and appeal basics
4
Safety, evidence and collective organising through WCDA-K
3
GROUND RULES
A respectful learning space
Women Driving Change
How we learn today
How we respect each other
• Introduce yourself briefly
• Share practical experience
• Ask questions without shame
• Protect other people’s stories
• No insults or shaming
• No screenshots of private stories
• Different platforms may behave differently
• Safety is more important than ratings
4
WHY THIS MATTERS
The app is not just a tool. It shapes your work.
Women Driving Change
The app can influence:
• Who gets a trip
• How far you drive to pick up
• How much you earn
• Whether incentives appear
• How complaints affect you
• Whether you keep account access
Knowledge helps you make better choices, keep better records and organise for fair rules.
5
WHAT IS AN ALGORITHM?
A set of instructions used to make decisions
Women Driving Change
Simple example
When traffic lights change from red to green, they follow rules.
A platform algorithm also follows rules, but the rules are hidden inside software.
In e-hailing, the rules help decide: trips, prices, ratings, incentives and account access.
Key idea: the app is making many small decisions every second.
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ALGORITHMIC MANAGEMENT
When software supervises work
Women Driving Change
Traditional workplace
• Supervisor assigns work
• Supervisor checks performance
• Supervisor gives warnings
Platform workplace
• App assigns trips
• App tracks performance
• App may restrict or deactivate
Sometimes your “manager” is the app. That is why transparency matters.
7
WHAT THE APP MAY SEE
Data points that may influence decisions
Women Driving Change
Location
Where you are now
Distance
Time to passenger
Rating
Passenger feedback
Cancellations
Accepted then cancelled
Acceptance
Trips accepted or ignored
Demand
Passengers nearby
Supply
Drivers nearby
Documents
Licence, insurance, ID
Most platforms do not reveal the full formula. We learn patterns and keep evidence.
8
HOW A RIDE GETS MATCHED
A simplified version
Women Driving Change
Passenger requests
App checks rules
Driver receives offer
Trip is accepted or passes on
The match is quick, but it can affect fuel, waiting time, safety and earnings.
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WHAT MAY AFFECT RIDE ALLOCATION?
There is no single public formula
Women Driving Change
Usually practical factors
Performance and platform factors
• Distance to pickup
• Passenger waiting time
• Traffic and route
• Number of drivers nearby
• Whether you are available now
• Ratings and complaints
• Cancellations
• Acceptance patterns
• Account status and documents
• Platform campaigns or incentives
Do not chase every rumour. Track your own data.
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DEMAND, SUPPLY AND WAITING TIME
Why some hours feel “dead”
Women Driving Change
More passengers
than drivers
Better chance
of trips
Prices or incentives
may rise
When many drivers are online and few passengers are requesting, you may wait longer or receive poor trips.
Question: Which hours and locations work best for you?
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DYNAMIC PRICING AND INCENTIVES
Do not confuse gross income with profit
Women Driving Change
When prices may rise
What to watch carefully
• Rain or bad weather
• Rush hour
• Events and concerts
• Airport arrivals
• Few drivers nearby
• Long pickup distance
• Fuel used chasing surge
• Unsafe areas or hours
• Bonus targets that cause fatigue
• Commission and costs
High fare is not always high profit. Calculate fuel, time and risk.
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RATINGS
A small number can affect livelihood
Women Driving Change
Ratings may influence trust, visibility, incentives and account review.
Protect your rating
Do not accept abuse
• Confirm passenger name and destination
• Keep communication short and respectful
• Keep vehicle clean and safe
• Report abuse through official channels
• Harassment is not customer service
• Unsafe passengers can be reported
• Share trip details with a trusted person
• Record facts immediately after incidents
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ACCEPTANCE AND CANCELLATION
Know the platform rules, but protect yourself
Women Driving Change
Acceptance rate
Cancellation rate
• How many offered trips you accept
• May affect incentives on some platforms
• Rejecting unsafe trips is sometimes necessary
• Learn the rules for each app you use
• Accepted trips later cancelled
• High cancellation may raise flags
• Keep evidence for passenger no-shows or app errors
• Avoid accepting before checking key details
Safety is not negotiable. No rating is worth your life.
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DEACTIVATION AND RESTRICTED ACCESS
Losing access means losing income
Women Driving Change
• Expired or rejected documents
• Safety complaints
• Repeated cancellations or low scores
• Fraud flags or fake GPS
• Account sharing or identity mismatch
• Unresolved passenger disputes
Do not wait until deactivation to start keeping records.
Keep screenshots, call logs, receipts, police OB numbers and platform messages.
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IF YOUR ACCOUNT IS SUSPENDED
A quick response plan
Women Driving Change
1
Do not panic. Read the notice carefully.
2
Screenshot the notice and any related trip details.
3
Write a short timeline of what happened.
4
Collect evidence: photos, receipts, location, chat, OB number.
5
Appeal through official channels and ask WCDA-K for support.
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SAFETY BEFORE THE ALGORITHM
No app score is worth harm
Women Driving Change
Before accepting or starting
When something feels wrong
• Check pickup area and time
• Trust your instincts
• Share live location when needed
• Check rider behaviour and name
• Use platform safety tools
• Cancel if unsafe
• Move to a public place
• Call support or emergency contact
• Report harassment
• Record facts after you are safe
Women drivers need platform policies that understand gendered risks.
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WOMEN-SPECIFIC REALITIES
The algorithm does not see the whole woman
Women Driving Change
• Night work can be more profitable but less safe
• Care work limits availability and working hours
• Harassment may lead to cancellations or low ratings
• Pregnancy, illness and family duties affect performance patterns
• False complaints can damage confidence and income
Fair platform work must consider safety, care responsibilities and gender-based violence risks.
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EARNINGS: CALCULATE THE TRUTH
Income is not the same as profit
Women Driving Change
Gross fare
minus commission
minus fuel
minus maintenance
Real profit
Track at least: online hours, completed trips, kilometres, fuel, parking, repairs and app deductions.
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EVIDENCE IS POWER
What to save when there is a problem
Women Driving Change
For trips and disputes
For safety and income issues
• Trip ID or screenshot
• Passenger message if any
• Pickup and drop-off details
• Time, date and location
• Support ticket number
• Photos if safe to take
• Police OB number where relevant
• Fuel and repair receipts
• App deductions and wallet statements
• Short written timeline
WCDA-K can only advocate strongly when members document patterns.
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MYTHS VS FACTS
Let us separate rumours from useful knowledge
Women Driving Change
Myths
Better way to think
• “Customer care manually gives trips.”
• “The app is completely random.”
• “A high fare always means good profit.”
• “One bad passenger cannot harm my account.”
• Most allocation is automated
• The app follows rules, even if hidden
• Calculate costs before celebrating
• Ratings and complaints can have consequences
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WORKING SMARTER
Practical tactics without risking safety
Women Driving Change
• Know your best hours and locations
• Avoid chasing surge too far
• Keep vehicle documents current
• Do daily vehicle checks
• Communicate clearly with passengers
• Rest before fatigue becomes dangerous
Strategy is knowing when to be online, where to wait, which trips are worth it and when to say no.
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PROFESSIONALISM STILL MATTERS
Human skill works alongside app rules
Women Driving Change
What helps your account
What protects your dignity
• Clean and roadworthy vehicle
• Clear communication
• Polite boundary-setting
• Safe driving and route explanation
• Handling complaints calmly
• Do not tolerate abuse
• Do not over-explain to aggressive riders
• Use official reports
• Ask for support from other women drivers
• Know when to end unsafe interaction
23
DIGITAL SECURITY
Protect your account from scams
Women Driving Change
• Never share OTP or verification codes
• Do not give passwords to “support agents”
• Avoid strangers claiming they can restore accounts
• Use official in-app support
• Keep your SIM and email secure
Many account problems start with one shared code.
When in doubt, ask before you click or share.
24
RIGHTS AND ADVOCACY
What women drivers can demand
Women Driving Change
• Clear information on rules that affect pay, trip allocation and account access
• Fair and timely appeal processes for deactivation and complaints
• Safety systems that respond to harassment and violence against women drivers
• Respectful support channels and local engagement with driver representatives
• Protection from discrimination and unfair treatment in platform work
• Recognition of women drivers as workers with voice, dignity and rights
We are not against technology. We are for fair technology.
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GROUP ACTIVITY
Map the hidden rules
Women Driving Change
1
Name one app behaviour you do not understand.
2
Share one pattern you have noticed about trips, fares or ratings.
3
What evidence would help confirm whether the pattern is real?
4
What should WCDA-K document and raise with platforms?
Use lived experience, but separate facts from rumours.
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THIS WEEK’S CHECKLIST
Small actions after today
Women Driving Change
• Track your online hours, trips, fuel and net profit for seven days
• Screenshot any unclear deduction, cancellation issue or warning notice
• Update documents before they expire
• Review each app’s rules on ratings, cancellations and deactivation
• Share one learning point in the WCDA-K WhatsApp group
• Invite another woman driver to join the next training
27
WCDA-K: WOMEN DRIVING CHANGE
What we are building together
Women Driving Change
Information
Evidence
Solidarity
Advocacy
One driver may be ignored. Organised women drivers can shape safer and fairer platform work.
Join the WhatsApp community, attend weekly sessions and bring another woman driver.
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USEFUL SOURCES
For facilitators and follow-up
Women Driving Change
• Uber Help: deactivated account and appeal process
• Uber driver app guidance: losing account access and review centre
• Bolt Support: grounds for suspending or terminating driver accounts
• ILO: algorithmic management in the workplace
• WCDA-K member incident records and weekly learning notes
Platform rules change. Always check the current in-app guidance.
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QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION
What has the app taught you the hard way?
Women Driving Change
Let us discuss experiences with:
• unexplained loss of trips
• ratings or passenger complaints
• cancellations and low earnings
• deactivation or blocked accounts
• safety and harassment on trips
Thank you. Women Driving Change.