Uber drivers managed to offer very few “Aventones (lifts)” due to the constant rain in the city.
The transport company Uber almost doubled its rates last Friday in Cancun, due to two factors: the rain and the initiative of a day without taxis.
Users of the platform exposed their discontent on social networks, due to the rise in rates. For example, an Internet user commented that a trip from region 98 to Plaza Las Américas, from 178 pesos rose to 349.97 pesos.
Águeda Esperilla Soto, Uber spokesperson, explained that this was due to the dynamic rate, a charging method that varies the cost of the service, according to a series of possibilities.
“You see that it is the dynamic rate and it is always activated when it rains, because as the demand rises, the dynamic rate rises a lot. It is an algorithm that Uber has, and this caused, for example, that in the morning, a service from downtown to the Airport (Cancun International) cost 700 pesos, when on a normal day it can cost you less than 200 pesos.”
She pointed out that “unfortunately” it is not a fixed rate, but that the cost of the service is determined by the demand that exists at that moment, in addition to other situations, such as weather conditions.
High rates don’t hurt Uber drivers
The interviewee ruled out that the increase in rates affects drivers, since she pointed out that there are people who, despite this, contract the service through the platform.
“It’s impressive, because even though the service is very expensive, people do take it,” she added.
As for the support that the Uber drivers would provide on “a day without taxis” initiative, Esperilla Soto commented that very few “rides” were able to provide, due to the constant rain that fell in Cancun since the early hours of the day.
“Well, with the rain we couldn’t do much, because instead of doing three services, they have been able to do one, because the traffic has been horrible. We participated to the extent that we could.”
However, on social networks, testimonial experiences of the “services” of Uber drivers and the benefited users were shared.
It should be remembered that Uber’s support for the initiative to stop using the service provided by Cancun taxis would be given through “Aventones (lifts) ” by the drivers of the platform, who had to place a sign with the phrase “@ a day without a taxi”, they will be able to provide the service for free.
Source: Sipse
