Brazil app drivers face low earnings and long hours

In Curitiba, the company VigiDriver offers weekly car rentals to rides‑hailing drivers who lack their own vehicle, allowing them to start working for Uber, 99 or InDrive without financing or credit checks. The service charges from roughly R$ 599 per week and aims to lower the initial barrier to entry for prospective drivers.

A nationwide survey by the financial‑management platform GigU of 1,576 drivers found that only 7.2% achieve their desired income without extending their workday. About 45% say they must work longer hours regularly, and many cite operating costs—fuel, maintenance, insurance, depreciation—as the reason they cannot meet earnings targets. More than half of drivers planning to buy a car within a year expect to need financing, while a quarter continue to use rented vehicles, reinforcing the pressure to increase hours.

Both pieces illustrate the broader challenge for Brazilian gig‑workers: limited access to affordable vehicles and high per‑kilometre costs drive longer workdays and reduce overall profitability.