'£140 from Leeds to Wakefield': Leeds Uber prices rocket - this is whyhttps://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/ ... 1-10032747Leeds taxi customers have been noticing prices for their journeys rocket over the past few weeks.Trips that normally seem affordable have risen by three or four times.
Prices seemed to peak on Saturday night (29), with one woman on Twitter saying Uber were charging £140 from Leeds to Wakefield. [about 12 miles according to Google maps]
Another woman said she paid £47 for a taxi from Leeds to Horsforth [six miles], while a third paid £55 from Leeds to Bramley [also around six miles].
"Last time I'll ever use Uber," she wrote.
The two-mile journey from Burley to Merrion Street was quoted as at least £20.
Another disgruntled customer on Wednesday evening said his journey from Leeds Station, usually costing £7, had increased to £28.
It's all down to Uber's surge pricing, which increases prices if there is too much demand and too few cars in the area at any one time.
And a Leeds Uber driver said the recent increase in surge journeys was down to two factors - the return of students to Leeds and the wet weather.
"It's not been like his until recently," he said. "It is with all the students coming back, there is so much more demand.
"And the weather means people aren't wanting to walk."
He said the surge multiplier on Saturday reached 4.4.
"The highest I have ever seen is 4.9," he added.
Customers are warned via the app when a surge is in place. A number appears, which is what your typical fare will be multiplied by.
The driver said midweek evenings had also seen surges, with a 3.4 multiplier on Monday night when the rain was heavy.
Other more established Leeds-based taxi firms do not use surge pricing, but many customers do choose to cough up if it means a taxi arriving more quickly at the touch of a button.
An Uber spokeswoman said: "The Uber app uses dynamic pricing to make sure that people can always get a car when they need it.
"When a large number of people in a specific area are booking a trip at the same time and there aren't enough available cars, fares automatically rise to encourage more drivers to go to the busy area.
"Users will always see a fare estimate in advance so they have the choice to book a car, share the trip with others or wait until fares go down.”
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