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Uber New Year’s Eve surge charge sees Perth passenger stung with $252 bill for 32km trip

Bethany Hiatt and Natalie RichardsThe West Australian
VideoMassive surcharges on Uber fares during New Year’s Eve celebrations have sparked complaints from Perth revellers.

Massive surcharges on Uber fares during New Year’s Eve celebrations have sparked complaints from Perth revellers.

Many took to social media yesterday to protest about exorbitant charges for ride-sharing services, including one user who paid $252 for a 32km trip that took 33 minutes.

Under its surge pricing method, Uber increases fares in line with demand at busy times.

A woman who posted screen shots on social media of an Uber quote of about $200 to travel from Fremantle to Bayswater at 1.30am said she ended up taking a taxi for $66.

“It’s just ridiculous,” she said. “We waited a few minutes and checked again, but it just kept going up and peaked at $211.”

She said Uber usually charged between $35 and $45 for the same trip.

Uber said fares were higher during times of peak demand, but it took steps to get more drivers on the road to keep prices down on New Year’s Eve.

Last year Uber introduced upfront fares to give passengers certainty on pricing so they could compare products before booking a ride.

An Uber spokesman said thousands of local drivers helped to get tens of thousands of people home safely on New Year’s Eve.

The busiest time was between midnight and 3am.

“Top pick-up destinations included Ascot Racecourse, the Crown hotel and Queens Gardens,” the spokeswoman said.

Taxi Operators Legal Defence Group spokesman Peter Rosengrave said people who were often inebriated when they agreed to an Uber fare on New Year’s Eve received a nasty surprise when they looked at their bill the next morning and realised they had been slugged five times more than usual.

“It’s taking advantage,” Mr Rosengrave said.

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