For most working professionals, ride-hailing apps such as Uber, Ola, or Rapido have become a resort for hassle-free commutes. However, there is growing friction around such platforms due to their surge pricing model. This normally represents an exponential increase in fares during peak demand periods, leaving users at the receiving end and often feeling cheated.
A recent LinkedIn post by product management professional Surya Pandey has gone viral, igniting a heated debate over the fairness of surge pricing by Uber. He sarcastically compared Uber’s surge pricing to the stock market boom of the 1990s and humorously lamented that he hadn’t ‘invested in Uber’s surge pricing instead of the stock market.’ In his words, it would have outpaced Harshad Mehta’s infamous stock market gains. He was frustrated because he was taken for a 1.8-kilometer drive and charged ₹699.
Commuters Slam Ride-Hailing Apps for Unfair Pricing
‘These ride-hailing apps, which began as a cheap and accessible substitute for traditional taxis, are themselves now a problem they sought to address,’ said Pandey. ‘Just three raindrops in Gurugram, and it is 300% more, with you left waiting for hours.’ His post ranted about a simple hack asking strangers at the exit of parking lots for a lift.
It took just a few seconds to go viral as many professionals in the city and across the country connect themselves with this feeling of being cheated due to inflated fares. Sarcastic remarks poured into the comment box with personal experiences of the extortion these apps charge during pressing times.
‘Affordable compact rides at 700 for 1.8 kilometers are nice,’ one user wrote, summing up the resentment.
‘Sometimes, the fare of an auto even surpasses that of a cab,’ another user wrote, drawing attention to how the prices of these ride-hailing services have become increasingly unpredictable and sometimes unreasonable.
Fare Hikes Push Riders to Hitchhike
Frustration has consequently forced some to fall back on old methods such as hitchhiking in bad weather, especially when surge pricing puts the rides out of reach. One user quipped appreciation for those unplanned rides this way: ‘Grateful for the accidental cost-saving benefits of the rainy season. People’s kindness in offering lifts has truly warmed hearts.’
The surge pricing taken by companies most of the time, as a way of balancing supply and demand, has often continued to scare away loyal customers especially in times of need. To many now, these apps are like cab drivers, jumping at every opportunity to hike fares whenever riders happen to be at their most desperate levels.
