Uber Rolls Out Tipping Feature Among Improvements

Uber is in dire need of some good karma in wake of a series of scandals.

The San Francisco-based ride-hailing service announced Tuesday that it will look to its lifeblood to hopefully turn things around. 

Uber has launched the "180 Days of Change" campaign that includes allowing customers to tip drivers, something its top competitor Lyft has been doing all along.

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In addition to tipping, Uber will shorten the free cancellation period from five minutes to two minutes, meaning drivers are more likely to secure a cancellation fee. Other earnings enhancements include driver injury protection insurance, a teen fare that pays drivers more for teen account trips and eliminating unpaid wait times, among others.

"We must update our core values, listen better to employees and riders, and prioritize our drivers," Uber co-founder Garrett Camp wrote in a post titled "Uber's path forward" on Tuesday.

Tipping is currently available in Seattle, Minneapolis and Houston and will be made available to all riders and drivers in the U.S. by the end of July 2017. The 180 Days of Change campaign will include other improvements to be rolled out over the course of the next six months.

The Rideshare Guy's Harry Campbell called the initial changes "a big step in the right direction."

"Although they’ve always said that they care about drivers’ future, today’s announcement actually proves it," he wrote.

"This is just the beginning. Over the next 180 days we are committed to making driving with Uber better than ever," the company said in an email to drivers and delivery partners in the U.S. "We know there's a long road ahead, but we won't stop until we get there."

READ MORE: Are You Supposed to Tip an Uber Driver?

Uber has been muddled in controversy of late. Disturbing sexual harassment allegations came to light earlier this year, and just last week CEO and co-founder Travis Kalanick took an indefinite leave of absence after the passing of his mother.

In a message to team members, Kalanick said the move was aimed at eventually creating a "world class leadership team."

"I believe that our business can have 10x the impact it has today—once we have additional leadership and training in place, and evolve our culture to be more inclusive and respectful," Camp concluded.

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