Uber issues “surge pricing” rates guide for NYE

The app-based private car booking service Uber expects to hit peak demand in the early hours of New year’s Day. It’s issued a guide to warn when its rates will also peak.

Uber, the app-based limo-type service for calling a private car from a smartphone, has issued a rates guide to warn Johannesburg customers of peak times that attract peak rates om New Year’s Eve and in the early hours of new Year’s Day.

“This New Year’s Eve we’ll have a record number of cars on the road ready to get you where you want to go,”” read an Uber statement issued today. “”But, that doesn’t change one simple fact: on NYE, everyone wants to move around the city at exactly the same time!””

Uber says it uses “”surge pricing”” to help solve this problem. The company suffered a social media backlash recently when it applied surge pricing in the United States, resulting in some customers paying seven times the usual price for a fare.

The statement explains the policy briefly: “”Higher prices bring more cars onto the system when you need them most, and prices return to normal as soon as there are enough open cars. When drivers are paid more to log on to Uber, they complete more trips on Uber.””

How to avoid surge pricing? Simple: “”good timing””.

Uber has published the following chart to show the periods of highest demand – and therefore of highest pricing:

Here is the company’s detailed guide to surge pricing:

SO HOW DOES SURGE PRICING WORK?

With surge pricing Uber rates increase to get more cars on the road and ensure reliability during the busiest times. When enough cars are on the road, prices go back down to normal levels. Important details:

NO SURPRISES

No more footing the bill for all your friends. Using Uber’s super simple fare split feature keeps your fares fair and keeps NYE travel costs manageable. Insist on Uber’s fare split!

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