Uber customers can expect to pay a surcharge on their rides and delivery orders in the coming weeks to help ease the pain at the pump for drivers.
The surcharge costs are based on the average trip distance and increase in gas price in each state.
“Beginning Wednesday, March 16, consumers will pay a surcharge of either $0.45 or $0.55 on each Uber trip and either $0.35 or $0.45 on each Uber Eats order, depending on their location – with 100% of that money going directly to workers’ pockets,” according to a Friday statement from Liza Winship, Uber’s head of driver operations in the U.S. and Canada.
Uber will reassess the surcharge after 60 days.
GAS PRICES ARE UP:Will rising oil costs increase food prices next?
GAS PRICES VARY ACROSS STATE LINES:Gas experts break down costs from state to state
“Our hope is that this temporary measure will help ease the burden, but we’ll continue to listen to feedback and may make changes in the future,” Winship said.
The announcement comes after a number of drivers took to social media to ask the company to help offset the rising cost of gas. As of Friday, the average price for a gallon of gas in the U.S. was $4.33, up 53% from a year prior, according to AAA.
The surcharge will not apply to rides that begin in New York City or Uber Eats deliveries within the city, where Uber drivers received a 5.3% increase to the city’s minimum earnings standard earlier this month.
Lyft to add fuel surcharge
Competitor Lyft released a statement Monday confirming that it, too, would add a fuel surcharge to rides. The ride-hailing service did not share details on when the surcharge would go into effect or how much it would cost customers.
“Driver earnings overall remain elevated compared to last year, but given the rapid rise in gas prices, we’ll be asking riders to pay a temporary fuel surcharge, all of which will go to drivers. We’ll share more details shortly,” Lyft’s statement reads.
EV CHARGING STATIONS:These apps can help you find the nearest charging station for your EV
Follow USA TODAY reporter Bailey Schulz on Twitter: @bailey_schulz.
