Uber Drivers Can Charge You More For Long Pickup And Wait Times

Uber is giving its drivers new ways to earn a little bit more money, and one of those ways is enabling them to charge more for longer pickups. The move will benefit riders as well as drivers, reducing the odds of a driver cancelling on them because the pickup location is farther away than others. The long pickup times aren't reserved for just long distances, though.

Uber drivers have increasingly complained about their earnings, and the company is slowly doing something about it, though arguably not to the degree many drivers were hoping. One effort was the addition of driver tipping and another is adding the ability to charge more if a pickup time takes longer than usual. This means riders who are farther away from the driver will be charged a little bit more to make up for the longer distance the driver has to travel to get them.

As well, a rider who makes an Uber driver wait longer than two minutes can be charged more on a per-minute basis to help cover that wait time. As well, drivers only have a couple minutes to change their mind and cancel the trip without having to pay a cancellation fee; this is compared to the previous 5-minute allotment.

No doubt the changes will spur an element of criticism from riders who don't want to pay the small amount extra or, more likely, who feel it is unfair in scenarios where the wait isn't their fault. Many Uber riders, for example, have encountered a scenario where the map takes the driver to the wrong stopping point, and that could mean time spent sitting while the clock is ticking...time the rider may end up paying for.

This new ability is being added as part of Uber's "180 Days of Change," an effort it kicked off in June to address issues and make changes to keep drivers happy. Under the new earning-more changes, Uber will also make an effort to keep drivers away from toll roads if it is at all possible.

SOURCE: Uber