With gas prices at an all-time high, Uber is introducing a temporary fuel surcharge to help its drivers and couriers pay their bills.
“While earnings on our platform remain elevated compared to historical trends, the recent spike in gas prices has affected rideshare and delivery driver,” Uber said in a blog post Friday. “To help reduce the burden, we are rolling out a temporary fuel surcharge.”
The surcharge will kick in March 16, costing customers $0.45 to $0.55 additional per trip and $0.35 to $0.45 extra for Uber Eats orders. That money will go directly to the drivers, and Uber will reassess the fee in 60 days.
The fees exclude trips starting in New York City and orders being delivered to customers in New York City.
Uber is also “seizing this moment to bolster our efforts to help more drivers make the switch to electric vehicles.” The company’s Green Future Program provides EV drivers with an extra $1 per trip (capped at $4,000 per year) as incentive.
Fuel prices have been skyrocketing as the US bans Russian oil imports in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with demand outstripping supply. On Friday, the US average price hit $4.33 per gallon, a 50-cent increase from a week ago, according to AAA. The state with the highest cost is California, which averaged $5.70 as of Friday.
