Uber and Lyft have both added temporary surcharges to all fares following the spike in petrol prices.
Users taking a trip in an Uber will now pay a fee of between $0.45 and $0.55 on top of their fare, while Uber Eats users will pay between $0.35 and $0.45. The fees are temporary and will last for “at least” two months.
Uber also said that the fees will go to drivers, who are responsible for paying for their fuel. However, the surcharges can vary based on trip distance and local prices. The surcharge won’t apply in New York City because drivers have already received a 5.3% pay increase at the start of the month.
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Lyft, meanwhile, did not specify how much it will increase prices on individual rides.
“We’ve been closely monitoring rising gas prices and their impact on our driver community,” said Lyft spokesperson CJ Macklin in a statement.
“Driver earnings overall remain elevated compared to last year, but given the rapid rise in gas prices, we’ll be asking riders to pay a temporary fuel surcharge, all of which will go to drivers. We’ll share more details shortly.”
Lyft also made clear that the surcharge will be sent to the drivers.
Uber has confirmed that the surcharge will apply to all cars – even if they are electric. Lyft, however, hasn’t made the distinction clear.
“While earnings on our platform remain elevated compared to historical trends, the recent spike in gas prices has affected rideshare and delivery drivers. To help reduce the burden, we are rolling out a temporary fuel surcharge,” said Liza Winship, Uber’s Head of Driver Operations for the U.S. and Canada, on Friday.
Uber has said, however, that gas prices account for less than 10% of driver earnings and that hasn’t changed from a year ago.
Of course, oil prices could still continue to rise thanks to Russian aggression in Ukraine and the continued impact on supply chains.
Keyword: Lyft, Uber Add Surcharge to All Rides – Even in EVs