Uber drivers make “rivers of money” in the Algarve

For many people, summer means the Algarve, and holidays. But for some drivers on platforms such as Uber, summer and the Algarve mean work. A lot of work. More precisely, a unique opportunity to increase their income, making the most of the beach season in a region that is buzzing at this time of year. For some, weekends are like pearls. Others use the mornings or the evenings to work, and spend the afternoons resting on the beach. There are even groups who get together to rent houses, and drivers who travel by train every day to do a shift.

“The Algarve is still a diamond in the rough”, says João Carvalho dos Santos. He is the manager of VOOOP!, a company in the sector with operations in Lisbon, which has also invested significantly in the Algarve market since Uber’s service was launched in the region, in 2016. “In the first year it was very attractive. The cars were taking around 250 euros per shift”, he recalls, adding that the company began by experimenting with “one car” and drivers leaving Lisbon every day, by train. “When one caught the train back, another colleague was arriving”, he says.