UberX was just legalised in NSW, which is great news for anyone who doesn’t like paying through the nose. But Uber’s surge pricing is set to make New Year’s Eve a costly night.
Uber becoming legal comes hand in hand with everyone knowing a little more about how Uber works, so if you’re using the service, you should be well aware by now of the potential surge pricing. If demand goes up and available drivers goes down, you’re going to pay more. On New Year’s Eve, those dynamic prices are probably going to skyrocket — in contrast to normal taxis, which have a fixed rate. In NSW, this rate is limited by the state government at a $2.50 surcharge and peak pricing kicking in after 10pm.
Speaking to SMH, Australia’s Uber boss in Australia David Rohrsheim said his hot tip was to book an Uber at 11:59, before prices set to surge. That might be okay if you’re out at a pub and don’t want to stay out late, but if you’re out for the post-midnight fireworks, it kind of misses the point.
It’s understandable, however, that in order to persuade people to become NYE drivers instead of NYE revellers, the best method is to up the price. And while taxis will operate at a fixed price, there are a finite number of those to go around.
“Getting drivers out there is our priority, higher fares mean more people will get home. We want part-timers to help out over the new year period through our UberX service,” said David Rohrsheim, Uber’s General Manager in Australia.
[SMH]
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