London Tube strike: Uber to charge 150 per cent more for rides today
With London going through yet another tube strike on five of its main lines today, many will be left with no other option than to call a taxi to work to avoid delays.
However, Uber users across London may face much higher charges today, likely to be around 150 per cent.
A recent study from Essential Living, which looked at the cost of Uber services around the world, showed that London has one of the lowest costing Uber services in the world, placing 24th on a list of 38 major cities.
With the average 3km (1.8 miles) taxi ride across London costing £6.61, data sent to City PM by Essential Living pointed out that, when it comes to surge charging, Ubers in London see a 150 per cent increase, with the same 3km fare costing riders £16.56.
This means travellers who are looking to catch an Uber during London’s tube strike will be severely out of pocket if there is an influx of app users today.
Nick Woodward at Essential Living said this morning that “in recent years we have seen a lot of mixed reviews with Uber in the capital and even more so now they have raised their prices to lure in new drivers.”
“And now with planned tube strike action taking place across most of the Christmas period, commuters are left being even more reliant on taxi services as they make their way home from their nights out,” he told City PM
“If you can, it’s encouraged you try and make your way home before the later hours of the evening or make alternative plans that avoid central London, where the strike action is set to take place. And, if you can’t change your plans, then scheduling your taxi in advance can often help to reduce the costs as well as ensure you make your trip safely,” Woodward concluded.
The firm also found that anyone wanting to travel in style with Uber luxury options, they should expect to pay an 88% increase on their original fare today.
Journey times in London are quicker than most with a 5km (3.1 miles) trip taking an average of five minutes; unlike Berlin, where the same distance journey takes 17 minutes on average
A 3km journey in Dublin would cost you over £11 more, however, during rush hour, Dublin has a higher fare hike at £18.23, in comparison to London’s £16.56.
Los Angeles, Tokyo, Lisbon and Paris all came above London for higher-priced fares, whereas Punta Cana, Vilnius, Cape Town and Lima were among the countries cheaper than London taxi fares