BENGALURU: In an apparent reaction to its drivers resisting long rides, leading to frequent clashes with customers, has for rides more than 15 km. Beginning this week, the fare for every kilometer beyond 15 km will be Rs 14 for UberGo and Rs 16 for UberX. Up to 15 km, the fare remains Rs 7 for UberGo and Rs 8 for UberX. The base fares, minimum fares and the time rate remain as they are. Uber said the price change is to compensate drivers for long-distance trips. Drivers are incentivized to do more than a certain number of trips a day; long-distance trips make it difficult for them to meet these requirements. To make cabs easily available, aggregators have been giving incentives to drivers to raise the number of trips. But this has resulted in a spate of unpleasant incidents in recent times when passengers have booked long-distance rides. Many drivers have even learnt to manipulate the system in their desire to meet their daily targets. They ask passengers to break up the trip into two legs. They end the trip mid-way, and then ask the passengers to book another trip from that point. "Drivers are even willing to give you Rs 50 if you do that," said one frequent user who did not want to be named. In June, an Uber driver in Bengaluru verbally abused a woman passenger who was travelling with her five-year-old daughter from Electronics City to Kengeri. He allegedly misbehaved with her. On reaching the destination, he also abused her mother. Uber suspended the driver pending investigation. More recently, a Bengaluru couple who hailed a cab were allegedly abused and attacked by an Uber driver following an altercation over the drop-off point. They wanted the cab to go from Koramangala to Bellandur, and then to Hebbal. Uber said that even with the new fares, the cab service will remain cheaper than most alternatives.
Uber in India has doubled the price for journeys over 15 kilometres in an attempt to incentivise drivers to accept these longer fares, despite the fact that they can make it difficult for drivers to reach their required this week tally. It is also hoped that the new system will stop drivers from forcing customers to split their journey into two separate fares, thus helping them reach their this week target, but causing administration headaches for Uber.