Somali Uber driver who made £10,000 in one month shares his secrets

By: BRISTOL POST

An Uber driver has pulled off the remarkable challenge of raking in more than £10K in just one month. Shakur Jama, a 26 year old driver from East London, embarked on this ambitious journey to demonstrate the potential of hard graft.

Starting his quest on June 21 and wrapping it up on July 21, Shakur pocketed an impressive £10,216. He allowed himself only three days off during the entire month and clocked in an average of 12 hours behind the wheel each day.

His savvy approach included steering clear of congested areas during rush hours and capitalising on big events like the Euros. Shakur said: “I wanted to do something which would inspire people, especially young people like me. Since I started, I’ve gotten a lot of messages from other people saying it’s helped them realise what’s possible.”

Before hitting the roads for Uber and Bolt, Shakur cut his teeth as a delivery driver for Ocado and Hermes, now rebranded as Evri. Once he had enough driving experience under his belt, he seized the opportunity to become a ride-hailing driver at the tender age of 22.

Reflecting on his earlier career, Shakur said: “While working as a delivery driver, I started having conversations with drivers and wondered how they were able to provide for their families. I realised I was able to apply for the licence as I started driving at 17 so I went for it and started from there.”

The strategy that propelled Shakur to his £10k goal was not all that different from the norm. However, it required him to put in long hours and adhere to a meticulous plan.

Shakur revealed: “I would always try to get up very early, ideally starting my day at 6:30 am. I did trips all around London and sometimes a bit beyond the M25, but not often.

“In the early hours, I would try to get some trips to and from the airport in because they pay well and the journey is actually worth it time-wise with no traffic. However, when it got to rush hour time in the morning, I stuck to more local trips in the city.

“As soon as it died down again, I would take another trip out to the airport, knowing I will always have someone wanting to go back into the city once I get there.”

On his most hectic days, Shakur could rake in nearly £500, while on quieter days, he’d pocket around £200. His earnings were also influenced by events like the Euros or changes in the weather.

He explained: “When the Euros were on, I would make sure to time my days around the games, especially the England ones. It would be about taking advantage of people going to the pubs for a drink and not being able to drive themselves home.