Uber announced on Friday that it will begin charging riders and food delivery patrons a surcharge to compensate for the rise in fuel prices.
“Many people are feeling the sting of record-high prices at the pump—and that’s certainly true of drivers and couriers,” Uber said in a statement. “While earnings on our platform remain elevated compared to historical trends, the recent spike in gas prices has affected rideshare and delivery drivers.”
“To help reduce the burden, we are rolling out a temporary fuel surcharge,” the company announced.
Beginning Wednesday, March 16, Uber and Uber Eats customers will be required to pay a surcharge of either $0.45 or $0.55 for each Uber trip and either $0.35 or $0.45 for each Uber Eats order.
All the funds will reportedly go straight to Uber drivers and delivery couriers.
The announcement comes as some drivers, including many in California, where regular gas is nearly $6 a gallon, have opted to stop driving or delivering for the service.
Overall, the national average gas price in the US has surged to $4.33 per gallon, beating out the previous record of $4.10 (2008).
The surcharges will remain in place for at least 60 days, and the situation will be reassessed after that period, according to Uber.
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