The popular cab ride and delivery app, Uber, has been set to charge customers a new fuel fee to help offset gas costs for drivers and couriers.
On Mar. 11, the company announced that riders would be charged a $0.45 to $0.55 fee per trip, and Uber Eats deliveries would include a $0.35 to $0.45 surcharge. This change is set to kick off on Wednesday, Mar. 16, and last for at least two months.
Uber said it created the new surcharge because of record-high gas prices around the U.S.
“Many people are feeling the sting of record-high prices at the pump—and that’s certainly true of drivers and couriers,” wrote Uber’s Head of Driver Operations for the U.S. and Canada, Liza Winship. “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.”
U.S. gas prices have reportedly been rising at a rapid rate due to the Russian War in Ukraine. The American Automobile Association (AAA)’s website indicated that the average price per gallon of regular gasoline went from about $3.49 to $4.32 in one month. As such, drivers around the country have been spending lots of money filling up their tanks.
“I need to use the gas every day for making money,” Uber driver, Argenis Dominguez, told NPR in a story published on Mar. 10. “Yeah a lot; $50 or $60 a day.”
The San Fransisco-based company added that their new fee was also based on the average trip distance in each state.
“The surcharges are based off the average trip distance and the increase in gas prices in each state. This is temporary for at least the next 60 days, when we’ll reassess.*”
The company said it plans to pay close attention to feedback from consumers, drivers, couriers and gas prices to decide whether or not it would make any additional changes to the fee.
At the bottom of the statement, Uber noted that New York City has been exempt from it since drivers there received a 5.3% increase, due to the city’s mandated minimum earnings standard. Uber said the increase, in turn, helped to grow their operating costs. The org also mentioned that the majority of delivery workers in the Big Apple used bikes instead of cars.
