The Russian war on Ukraine has disrupted global oil supply lines, driving gas prices up to ever-increasing record highs, and everyone is feeling the pain at the pump, perhaps especially those who drive for a living.
To help its drivers stay afloat during this difficult time, leading rideshare company Uber announced on Friday that it will start levying a fuel surcharge on customers from March 16. The fee amount will be either 45 or 55 cents per Uber trip, and either 35 or 45 cents per Uber Eats delivery order, depending upon location.
"This is temporary for at least the next 60 days, when we'll reassess," Uber wrote in last week's news release.
Uber said that the surcharge amounts it settled upon are based on calculations of average trip distances and the rise in gas prices in each respective state and that 100 percent of the surcharge fee will go directly into its drivers' pockets to help offset their fuel expenses.
One exception: trips that begin in New York City or orders delivered in the Big Apple will be excluded from the nationwide application of fuel surcharges, since NYC Uber drivers just received a 5.3-percent increase to the city's minimum earnings standard on March 1. This, the company said, covers its contractors' increased operating costs, especially since the vast majority of NYC delivery workers cycle, rather than drive.
"We know that prices have been going up across the economy, so we've done our best to help drivers and couriers without placing too much additional burden on consumers," Uber said in its release. "Over the coming weeks, we plan to listen closely to feedback from consumers, couriers and drivers. We'll also continue to track gas price movements to determine if we need to make additional changes."
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