The thing is he was a clueless journalist. Uber drivers with experience know where to hangout and which rides to take to maximize profit, know where drive to skip the traffic. They often drive when there is a surcharge and know when to take breaks. They know which car would be best for driving e.g. Skoda Rapid with factory LPG can reduce the cost of the fuel. They often share a car between 2 or 3 people. You can drive in New Year's Eve for 4x the price. There are a lot of ways to optimize.

What I know from talking to people is that the Uber drivers used to make above average wage after taxes and expenses. Now Uber takes a bigger cut and there is competition, so it's below average. Also you get a car with all expenses paid.

I think the problem is that in Europe the state covers healthcare and other benefit so Uber drivers are doing alright here.