Governor Charlie Baker announced that a state of a emergency has been issued for Massachusetts for Winter Storm Juno effective immediately, and a travel ban will go in effect starting Monday night at midnight. To limit riders’ costs, Uber and Lyft will put a cap on surge pricing and “Prime Time” fare rates.
Update: In an email Boston riders, Uber has announced that as long as a State of Emergency remains in effect, the company will put a cap on its surge pricing rates. As part of the company’s national policy during emergency situations, Uber will be donating all proceeds to the American Red Cross.
“As long as the State of Emergency remains in effect, prices will not exceed 2.9x the normal fare, and all Uber proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross to support relief efforts, per Uber’s national policy,” Uber’s email says. “On [a rider’s] receipt, [the rider] will see a donation from Uber to the American Red Cross.”
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Earlier: In an email to its Boston customers, Lyft announced Prime Time pricing will not exceed double the amount of what a rider would expect to pay for any trip, during non-emergency situations. “As always, Prime Time is capped at 200%,” Lyft’s email states. “Demand may not even push prices that high, but the cap is there so rides during busy periods remain affordable. Our community’s safety is our top priority, and we want to make sure everyone has a safe, reliable ride home.”
Uber, on the other hand, in the event of an emergency weather situation, will cap surge pricing at an unspecified amount that excludes the top three highest surge pricing totals seen during non-emergency situations during the previous two months.
… To summarize that: If the three most expensive surge pricing percentages recorded between November 25 to January 25 were – hypothetically – 7.6 percent, 5 percent, and 4.5 percent, that means Uber surge pricing during Winter Storm Juno shouldn’t exceed 4.4, if a state of emergency is declared.
In a July 14 blog post, announcing Uber’s partnership with the American Red Cross, the ridesharing company’s CEO, Travis Kalanick, said:
“This policy intends to strike the careful balance between the goal of transportation availability with community expectations of affordability during disasters. Our collaborative solution with Attorney General Schneiderman is a model for technology companies and regulators in local, state and federal government.”
In a statement provided to BostInno, Uber said it is “committed to getting riders safely and reliably to where they need to be, and we urge everyone to use extra caution when out on the roadways today.”
Screenshot via Lyft
