Uber Ride Pass lets riders lock in prices for regular rides in a city

Uber has introduced a new service called Ride Pass, a solution to its frustrating surge pricing that leaves commuters wondering what their daily bill will be. With Ride Pass, Uber riders can lock in a rate, which is consistently applied for rides taken anywhere in their city. The new payment option is intended for people who use Uber for regular rides, such as to work or back home after the day ends.

Ridesharing services like Uber have become a popular way to get to and from destinations on a regular basis. Using one of these rides to go to work, for example, provides more reliable transportation versus taking the bus, but there's a downside: surge pricing means the customer can never be sure quite how much the ride will cost.

This can especially impact riders who need a ride late in the evening when demand is more likely to increase in some places, causing the rate to jump. Uber acknowledges this issue on its blog, explaining that Ride Pass is the solution. Prices for a Ride Pass start at $14.99 USD.

Ride Pass covers rides in the user's city; they can be taken at any time, though Uber is only rolling out the service in five cities for now. Customers can sign up within the Uber app, where they'll choose what they need and see how much it will cost.

There's the option to auto-renew the pass, though users can disable that. The app also shows what city the pass applies to and how many days are left for that particular payment period. Uber plans to add e-bikes and scooters to Ride Pass for customers in Los Angeles at no extra charge, though it doesn't say when that will arrive.

SOURCE: Uber