Thousands of commuters availing Uber ride sharing services complained that the fare was exorbitantly high during the Eid holidays.
The unexpected decision of the company - originally an American multinational transportation network, caught many of the city riders by surprise.
“I had to pay Tk 472 for a ride on UberX from my home in Baridhara DOHS to Dhanmandi Lake near road 27 (old) on the eve of the Eid. Whereas I paid Tk 263 for the same distance travelling before on UberX,” said Jahanara, an internee medical practitioner of Suhrawardy Hospital in the city.
A fellow rider also availing Uber on Eid day said, “I took my children to Dhaka Zoo traveling from my home near Jame Masjid in Jatrabari. It cost me on UberX Tk 545. I was told by the driver that the fare was one and a half times the normal rate.” It was learnt that during the three-day Eid holidays the Uber apps showed unusually high fares which were neither agreed or had been approved from the government nor announced before, as a result, those who were ‘forced’ to using Uber ride services, were completely astonished.
The extra fares appearing on the Uber apps was highly annoying and many riders termed the decision as criminal offence. “I expect some sort of discipline. Uber is an international brand and I know it operates on strict rules and regulations. But I smell something unusual. The exorbitant fares were introduced by the local Uber license holders or franchise owners who may wanted to make some extra money,” said Belayet Hossain, a senior official of a private bank.
The exorbitant fares were not justified as the roads remained almost free of traffic due to fewer people celebrating Eid in the city. “I can expect to pay extra fares if I find heavy rush of traffic on the streets but on an empty road how can you expect fares to go up and for what reasons?” questioned an aggrieved school teacher from Malibagh.
There was no shortage of drivers nor there was huge demand for Uber ride. Uber does have a surge pricing policy that determines the price of a ride according to the supply and demand commensurate with the number of rides available around, the traffic, and the weather. Uber Bangladesh could not be contacted for comments.
