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Rideshare apps have been slammed
over pricing surges following the recent subway attack in New York City.According to reports, New Yorkers complained that popular apps Uber and Lyft were price gouging for rides in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn, where the attack occurred.
Users of the apps took to Twitter to express their outrage and share screenshots of the increase, which occurred shortly after the incident.
“@Uber turn off surges in Sunset Park. People are scared [so] let them get out safely,” @shananigans022 wrote on Apr. 12. Her screenshot showed that fares for rides were “slightly higher due to increased demand.”
Another user tweeted an image he captured of the surge around the same time the Uber one was posted.
“Didn’t see anything about ‘Shooting Surge Pricing’ in @lyft terms of use,” said @job_bohnsen.
“Fare increased 10x by @Uber after a terrorist attack in a subway of Brooklyn, New York. What a Shame #NewYork,” @pchavhanke also tweeted with a screenshot of the app’s pricing surge.
Gunfire and a smoke bomb previously erupted inside a Manhattan-bound N train car at 36th St., leaving 30 people injured, including ten individuals who were shot. The perpetrator was described as a Black man with a “heavy build.”
New York Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell confirmed that the unidentified man unleashed the smoke bomb while wearing a gas mask. Video footage revealed panicking passengers running out of the train and spilling onto the subway platform after it went off.
That afternoon, Lyft spokeswoman Katie Kim told the Post that they would be issuing partial refunds to riders in the surrounding area who were overcharged. Many residents and workers were reportedly ordering cab rides in an attempt to leave the vicinity.
“We are actively monitoring the situation in Sunset Park and have currently suspended Prime Time pricing for riders who are in the area,” Kim said. “We are working to adjust fares for certain riders who paid Prime Time prices when the situation first unfolded.”
Uber spokesperson Freddi Goldstein also responded to complaints via Newsweek, saying that the company was working swiftly to disable surge pricing in Sunset.
“Our hearts go out to the victims of this morning’s terrible shooting in Sunset Park,” he wrote. “Following the incident, Uber disabled surge pricing in the vicinity and capped pricing citywide. As always, Uber strives to be a resource for New Yorkers aiming to get around New York City. If anyone on our platform experienced unintended charges during this emergency, we will work to get them refunded.”
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first time Uber and Lyft were accused of increasing their cab prices following a tragic incident. In 2017, both apps refunded rideshare app riders who claimed they were charged high fares as they tried to leave the scene of an explosion near Port Authority in Midtown Manhattan.