Ride-hailing firm Uber set to bring in fixed price fares for journeys in the UK

Ride-hailing firm Uber are to bring in fixed price fares for journeys in the UK.

‘Upfront Pricing’ is a fixed price offering that Uber hopes will provide clearer, simpler and more transparent pricing for both drivers and passengers. According to the minicab operators, the pricing system is used in most cities globally and is now set to launch across the UK. 

Upfront prices is created using new software which factors in real time road closures and traffic to help ensure users get an accurate price and the best available route. Surge charge pricing is also added into the price when demand is high.

Upfront Pricing means both riders and drivers will be shown the exact figure before confirming the trip. According to a statement made by Uber to its drivers, the amount will be honoured except in specific cases where there is a significant deviation from the expected trip.

In these cases, the upfront price will not apply and the fare will be calculated on actual time and distance travelled. This might happen in the following situations:

• If the rider adds or deletes a stop in their app

• If the final destination is more than 1 mile away from the initially requested destination in a straight line

• If a detour is taken and the trip is both further and slower than initially estimated in the upfront price

• If the trip is at least 40% and 10 minutes slower in duration than initially estimated in the upfront price (for eg. due to traffic or long stops), this will result in the actual fare being higher than the upfront price.