The hostage situation in Sydney is now over, as police stormed the cafe where a gunman had been holding a number of people hostage over the course of 16 hours. But a whole new situation may be cropping up for car service Uber after the company initially charged riders a minimum of $100 to take a car away from the area.
Mashable was the first to report on Uber’s untimely surge pricing, which automatically occurs to ensure more Uber drivers are out on the road meeting demand.
Soon after a user screencapped the Uber price, which showed a $100 minimum charge along with rates four times the normal fare, Uber took to Twitter to defend its policies.
We are all concerned with events in CBD. Fares have increased to encourage more drivers to come online & pick up passengers in the area.
— Uber Sydney (@Uber_Sydney) December 15, 2014
Less than an hour later, Uber reversed course, offering free rides for everyone in the area and promising a refund for anyone who had already paid the inflated fare.
Uber Sydney trips from CBD will be free for riders. Higher rates are still in place to encourage drivers to get into the CBD.
— Uber Sydney (@Uber_Sydney) December 15, 2014
Free rides are a great way to save face, but it may be too late for that with Uber, who can’t seem to stop courting bad press. In an earlier blog post, Uber had claimed they would cap surge pricing during states of emergency while donating a percentage of fares to the American Red Cross. But that pledge may not carry over to other countries. Uber is growing so fast, sometimes it’s hard to keep PR disasters from occasionally popping up.
[h/t Mashable]
