Edmonton Uber passenger charged more than $1,100
原始发布日期： 2016-01-03 发布者：李方字变大 字变小
 The UBER app is photographed with taxis in the background on Dalhousie St. in Ottawa Thursday September 11, 2014. (Darren Brown/Ottawa Citizen) ORG XMIT: POS1409111253348648 File / Edmonton JournalMatt Lindsay was charged $1,114 for a ride home from the southern end of Edmonton to St. Albert. The fare was roughly the same price as a return ticket from Edmonton to St. John’s, Nfld. He went public with the bill on Saturday and Uber officials confirmed the company is refunding about half of the money. Uber uses what they call “surge pricing” during periods of high demand to get more drivers on the road serving passengers. Customers are warned about the increased price in the app before they accept the ride, but it still seems to catch many users by surprise. News stories quoting angry customers cropped up across the globe. But Uber says it warns customers about the price in the app, and also sent out a description of surge pricing to every customer by email 10 days before New Year’s Eve. “Our goal is to make sure you can always push a button and get a ride within minutes — even on the busiest night of the year — and surge pricing helps ensure that choice is always available,” Uber spokesman Xavier Van Chau said in a written statement. “Riders are repeatedly notified about the pricing directly within the app and asked to confirm and accept increased fares, or can opt for a notification when prices drop.” In a blog post issued Jan. 2, Uber said millions of riders used the app to hail a ride on New Year’s Eve. In the United States, 13 per cent of riders paid three or more times the regular price. Sixty per cent paid regular rates. Lindsay said he couldn’t estimate the full cost in the app because his trip involved multiple legs to drop off friends on the way. The driver changed the GPS co-ordinates in the app after each stop. Lindsay was in the Uber car for one hour. Coun. Andrew Knack, who supports allowing ride-sharing firms to operate in Edmonton with proper regulation, said Sunday that over the last couple of years he has seen other mentions of expensive surge fares. However, customers are warned about the fees they face before accepting a ride, he said. “Hopefully, this is the first and only time we will hear about situations like this in Edmonton, and people will pay attention to the app,” he said. “If there weren’t these multiple checks when something like surge pricing takes effect, I think I would have a much different opinion. With two check-in points, I think I would feel a lot more comfortable.” This sort of event is evidence ride-sharing companies won’t push out other transportation options, because the passengers could have waited longer for a traditional cab and paid less, Knack said. As well, Edmonton Transit was free on New Year’s Eve. “When we say Uber coming into Edmonton isn’t going to eliminate taxis, this is a perfect example … The taxi industry has a competitive advantage in this case.” Uber drivers have been running in Edmonton since late 2014. Balraj Manhas, a spokesperson for the Alberta Taxi Group of drivers, said the metered fare to St. Albert from south Edmonton is about $65 to $70. Someone booking a limousine to St. Albert from the Edmonton International Airport would pay a maximum $101, he said. Rates haven’t increased since 2008, he said. He said one way the city can increase the number of vehicles available at busy times is by issuing more licences valid for weekends or the high season. “Council should be very careful that they keep the same pricing set by the meter … We don’t want the public to bargain on the streets.” City council will discuss changing Edmonton’s vehicle for hire bylaw to in essence allow ride sharing Jan. 26. Several proposed amendments, which include a new fee schedule for drivers and companies as well as setting insurance requirements, passed first reading in November. A transportation policy passed in 2014 calls for the city to provide people with choice and refers to ride sharing, Knack said. He expects the amended bylaw to be approved, possibly becoming law in February or March. Further consultations with the taxi industry on issues such as whether they want to be allowed to offer flexible fares are scheduled to be finished by the end of June. With files from Gordon Kent estolte@edmontonjournal.com twitter.com/estolte Calgary Herald |