If Busy lived somewhere, London would be it. A city full of life, fast pace, and always pressed for time. But as an Ola driver, how do you spot the difference between prospective Ola riders and pedestrians just rushing around? It’s not easy.
To help you figure out where’s best for business at any given hour, we’ve developed London driver hotspots. We’ll be looking at upcoming events for the week ahead so you can assess where rider traffic will be highest and at what time.
In this blog we will look at a few aspects of demand across different time slots:
- Monday through to Thursday - All of London
- Friday, Saturday and Sunday individually - All of London
As you'd expect, the main hotspots are in central London. We'll be updating these often and as the city opens up further, we'll share region wise demand trends.
Disclaimer: The data below is based on historical demand volume and may differ from future rider requests.
Demand by week
Monday to Sunday forecast
Monday to Thursday
The trend of evening peaks from Monday to Thursday is clear to see from the graph above. So, even if you miss out on morning bookings we highly recommend having an early dinner to secure evening bookings!
Friday to Sunday
You probably already know that Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings are a treasure trove for securing trips and seeing your earnings rise quickly. But you have to admit, it looks even more impressive in a bar chart! To make the most of the three days though, we recommend cashing in on weekend mornings too, to secure bookings from Saturday shoppers and Sunday brunch-ers.
Demand by day
Monday to Thursday forecast
Are you an earlier riser? If not, our data suggests it’s a good idea to sleep earlier a few days a week. If you start your shift earlier in the day, you’ve got a better chance of booking more trips and therefore making more per shift on average.
Demand is 10% higher for three hours between 7:30 and 10:30 a.m. Wake up early to catch the morning rush of riders looking to get work and start their day. The good news is, if you’re not an early riser, there’s still a 32% demand spike in the evening too. Between the work-end and social hours of 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. make sure your car is the cleanest it’s ever been to meet demand!
| Top Demand Hotspots for Monday to Thursday | |||
| Marylebone | Westfield Stratford | Knightsbridge | Edgware Road |
| Shepherd's Bush | Stratford Station | Kensington and Chelsea | Piccadilly Circus |
| Euston | Mayfair | Clapham Common | Oxford Street |
Friday demand happy hours
Fridays really are a great start to the weekend for our riders, and now for you too. Experience higher hotspot demand between 7 and 11 a.m in your borough, and make the best of it by offering first-class customer service to develop regular riders.
If you miss the morning demand madness, worry not, Friday evenings are your happy hour! Expect 100% higher demand when you work between three in the afternoon and eleven at night. Yep, you read that right. 100%. With nine-to-fivers ready to leave their home offices and let off steam, you’re well placed to play designated driver for the night.
| Top Demand Hotspots for Friday | |||
| Shepherd's Bush | Stratford Station | Brixton | Mortimer street |
| Notting Hill | Westfield Stratford | Clapham Junction | ChinaTown |
| Baker Street Station | Battersea Park | Leicester Square | Edgware Road |
Weekend peaks
Weekends are just as significant as Friday’s in reaching more riders and drumming up business. Both Saturday and Sunday both see over 50% in demand peaks, with an 83% increase on Saturday Unlike Monday to Thursday, you can enjoy a lay in and still make just as much in the afternoon and evening hours of 3 pm to 11 pm.
| Top Demand Hotspots for Saturday | |||
| Berners Street | Westfield Stratford City | Clapham Common | Cranbourn Street |
| Shepherd's Bush | Brick Lane | Brixton Station | Piccadilly Station |
| Bond Street | Stratford Station | Canary Wharf | Edgware Road |
On Sundays, we see a 58% increase in demand with hotspots predominantly in Central London.
| Top Demand Hotspots for Sunday | |||
| Shepherd's Bush | Stratford station | Brixton Station | Covent Garden Station |
| Kentish Town | Canary Wharf | O2 Academy Brixton | Edgware road |
| Oxford street | Oxford street | Hampstead road, Euston | Picadilly Circus Station |