Uber will be implementing a temporary surcharge on its apps in response to skyrocketing gas prices.
As of Wednesday, customers will be charged an extra $0.50 per ride and $0.35 for Uber Eats deliveries.
The company says the fee will go entirely to drivers and says it is the result of the unprecedented price of gas.
“The temporary fee is designed to reduce the burden of high gas prices, not to cover the full cost of a tank. The fee is temporary but lasts for at least the next 60 days, but we will continue to review feedback and monitor gas prices throughout that period,” said UBER in a press release on March 12.
21-year-old Lucas Da Costa has been driving with Uber for the past two years.
He doesn’t think the surcharge goes far enough.
“When I got the email from Uber telling me about the increase, I knew it wasn’t going to help much with my tank refills,” said Da Costa.
Da Costa typically does 10 rides a day on weekends and says he’s spending an extra $80 on gas.
“Gas costs have been really chipping away from my weekend driving earnings for a while now but at this point, it’s just insane how much it eats away,” said Da Costa.
“This surcharge feels like something Uber introduced just to say they did something,” Da Costa said.
In January – a month before Russia’s invasion, Toronto gas prices were already at a high of 161.9 cents/per litre.
This chart shows how they’ve risen since.
Like many others, 19-year-old Nia Rajnish has used Uber Eats as a crutch for meals during the pandemic.
She also uses the ride-hailing app to get to and from work and school.
Rajnish uses Uber as well to get to-and-from work and school.
“If I didn’t hear about this extra charge, I wouldn’t even have noticed,” said Rajnish.
Owning a car, Rajnish understands the dilemma facing Uber drivers, “it's really damaging on your wallets to be a frequent driver right now,” Rajnish said.
Over the past year, Toronto gas prices jumped from 128.9 cents/litre to 174.9.
Asked if Rajnish would continue using both apps despite the fuel surcharge, Rajnish said yes, “I think the charge should be raised, just as long as it all goes directly to the driver's pocket, they need it".
Even if you hail an electric Uber, you can expect to pay the surcharge as well.
The company is trying to encourage more drivers to use EVs by paying an extra $1 per ride.