Uber Canada says it is capping surge pricing during Metro Vancouver transit strike

The bus and SeaBus strike in Metro Vancouver is forcing commuters who need to get to work, school or appointments to find alternative modes of transportation.

The SkyTrain and West Coast Express are running but some who can’t use these services have been turning to Uber as an option.

However, Global News is hearing from commuters that Uber’s surge pricing is tripling the cost of their journeys.

“It’s so expensive,” one commuter told Global News. “Normally it’s about $10 but right now it’s about $30, just to get to Langley.”

He was travelling from Scott Road Station to Langley.

“We are international students, we can’t afford it.”

In addition, commuters said it is also difficult to secure an Uber due to the increased demand.

2:05 Bus and SeaBus stoppage set for Monday morning

In a statement to Global News, Uber Canada said that “in response to the transit strike, Uber has capped surge pricing and offered additional incentives to drivers to encourage them to complete more trips during the strike.”

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“For example, this morning from 7- 8 a.m., the number of active drivers increased more than 70% over the same hour last week. However, it is not reasonable to expect Uber to fill in the massive gap left by a transit strike,” the company said.

Uber said it is encouraging riders to try the Group Ride feature and to carpool a ride and fare with others.

“Surge pricing occurs when there are more ride requests than there are drivers,” the statement said. “With upfront fares, riders see the price before they request the ride so they know how much they’ll pay and a message will be displayed such as ‘Fares are higher due to increased demand’ before the rider chooses to request a trip. The surge amount is added to the driver fare.”

3:37 TransLink CEO says both sides of the transit strike need to return to the bargaining table

Lyft said in a statement it made a similar move Monday by implementing a prime time cap in response to the strike.

Car-sharing service Evo said it saw an immediate 30 per cent increase in trips Monday morning and a 50 per cent higher than usual new member sign-up over the past few days.
“To help people get where they need to go, Evo is responding to higher demand by relocating Evos near SkyTrain stations,” the company said in a statement.

“Evo Return, a round-trip care share, is also available at Surrey Central and King George Skytrain stations. In this service, drivers can book a car for an hour or longer up to 30 days in advance allowing them to pick up and drop off the vehicle in the designated Evo Return Zone.

When it comes to finding a car, the app shows where Evos are real-time. Members can book 30 mins in advance or if they can’t find a car nearby, they can set a radar in app which notifies them when an Evo becomes available in the zone they specified.

As for parking, the majority of parking lots with Evo reserved spots also have unlimited overflow spots, meaning more spots for Members to start or end a trip. Evos are also able to park at any meter or permit only spots around town.

Evo is monitoring high-demand areas closely and is working on ways to further support its members. Evo has over 2,300 cars and continues to add to its shared fleet. It recently expanded further into Burnaby.