Are you concerned about rising Uber fares? The ride-hailing behemoth is experimenting with a solution to this problem. According to TechCrunch, Uber is working on ‘Uber Flex,’ a new feature that will allow customers to customize their ride fee based on their preferences. This type of innovation is not totally new to Indian users. InDrive, a California-based startup that operates in many Indian cities, already allows consumers to specify their desired fee. Notably, InDrive’s price is expected to be 10 to 15% lower than that of other prominent ride-hailing services in India, such as Uber and Ola.
According to a TechCrunch story, Uber began testing the Uber Flex function in October of last year in Indian cities such as Aurangabad, Ajmer, Bareilly, Chandigarh, Coimbatore, Dehradun, Gwalior, Indore, Jodhpur, and Surat. “We are currently piloting this feature in some of India’s Tier 2 and 3 markets,” Uber informed the newspaper.
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The following is how Uber Flex works:
Instead of the normal dynamic pricing, Uber Flex gives passengers nine distinct price choices to select from when booking a journey. One of these prices is designated as the default or beginning price.
When a rider chooses a fare from these nine alternatives, the fare is then shared among neighboring drivers. Essentially, riders may choose a rate that they are comfortable paying for their journey.
After receiving this recommended fare, drivers can accept or deny the journey based on the fare selected by the rider. If a driver accepts the offered rate, he or she will accept the ride and deliver the service at that amount. If the fare is unacceptable to the driver, they have the discretion to decline the journey.
This approach effectively gives riders greater influence over the price they’re prepared to pay for their transport, while providing drivers the option to accept or deny the rider’s rate.
Uber Go is mostly used for making cheaper travels inside cities or between cities in certain locations. It’s also occasionally available for costlier Premier rides and auto-rickshaw rides.
These rides can be paid for with cash or with digital payment options. However, it’s crucial to note that Uber’s variable pricing does not apply to all types of rides in every area.
Uber is now testing the Flex function in places like as Lebanon, Kenya, and Latin America. According to TechCrunch, Uber intends to test this new mode of operation in key Indian cities such as Delhi and Mumbai very soon.
