Uber has launched a new feature for riders who want to make longer trips with multiple stops. The new ‘Hourly’ rate option lets riders set the amount of time they deem the journey should take and thus lock in a flat hourly rate for the whole span.
Uber has provided many destinations on a single ride since 2017, but combining an hourly rate for these longer, multi-stop trips is a new way.
Uber seems to be looking for the type of rider who once held public transportation to run multiple errands, but may now be shunning him due to the pandemic. In a statement, Uber’s director of passenger operations, Niraj Patel, also expressed it as “an additional profit opportunity for drivers as we move into this.
Riders are going to be charged $50 for an hour and will be requested to select how long the trip will last before confirming it. The passenger will have to pay for the time they have chosen, even if the trip takes minor time than they thought. There is an option to add three destinations over the journey and the prices for these trips do not involve tolls, surcharges, etc.
There are some limitations. Customers can’t use the feature for trips to or from the airport, or rides. There may be mileage limits based on the city — for example, in some cities, the limit is 40 miles.
Customers will be required at a per-minute rate for trips that go over the time limit, or the per-mile price for trips that go over the mileage limit. The rates are prorated based on $50.
Uber has experimented the idea overseas in countries like Australia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East and is now bringing it to 12 US cities – Atlanta; Chicago; Washington, DC; Dallas; Houston; Miami; Orlando; Tampa Bay’ Philadelphia; Phoenix; Tacoma; and Seattle.
Across the country, Uber is now running under the new COVID-19 safety guidelines, including the demand that both drivers and passengers wear masks and the limits on the number of passengers allowed per vehicle.
COVID-19 has harmed the company’s business. More than 3,700 full-time employees, or about 14 percent of its workforce, have been put off. And at its lowest point, Uber’s transportation business is down 80 percent.