July 27: The estimated fare displayed on your Uber app at the time of booking a ride to a destination is no longer a guarantee that you will have to pay that amount, or anything close to it.
Many Uber riders have lately been stumped by the difference in the estimated and revised fare even when the route taken has been the shortest one and traffic normal.
The GPS route followed by Uber drivers is more often than not one that takes more time. Any attempt to take a shorter, direct route different from the one recommended by the GPS guide invariably results in the fare rising way above the estimate.
A Metro reader who took an Uber ride from Quest Mall to Acropolis in Kasba two weeks ago was surprised to find that the recommended route was through AJC Bose Road and the Parama flyover rather than the far shorter and simpler drive down Gariahat Road, then a left turn on Swinhoe Street and across Bijon Setu to reach Kasba.
The estimated fare when he booked the ride was Rs 127. When he reached Kasba, the fare was revised to Rs 152. "I had asked the driver to take the Bijon Setu route, which is half the distance of the one marked out on the GPS device. Midway, I received a notification that said, 'Your fare may be altered'. For a shorter ride, I ended up paying Rs 25 extra," the rider recounted.
A spokesperson for Uber attributed this to an assumptive algorithm. "Upfront fares are usually calculated using an algorithm that takes into consideration the expected time and distance of the trip, local traffic patterns, and demand and supply at a given location. We are able to use past data to estimate the likely cost of the trip and can present that price to a rider before they request a ride," he said. "But when a rider decides to take a detour, shorter or longer, and makes stops or keeps the car waiting at the drop location for any length of time, the upfront fare will not hold true for the trip."
The new fare calculated for the trip is supposed to be on the basis of the base fare, time and distance charges or the minimum fare, and could be more than or less than the upfront fare, the spokesperson said.
Uber regulars who have opted for the reward scheme UberPASS - a flat rate of Rs 99 for rides up to 10 km within a stipulated number of days - are also being overcharged.
Public relations executive Taposova Roychowdhury, who is a regular Uber user, had an UberPASS valid till July 28. "On July 19, I took a ride for a distance of 4.4km and was charged Rs 160. When I made a refund request on the app, they refused. I posted a complaint on Uber's Facebook page. In response, they withdrew my UberPASS," she said.
Media professional Joyjit Ghosh was luckier. He got a refund after being charged Rs 360.54 for a ride from Kasba to Chandni Chowk on June 23.
His friend Anandarup Biswas, who took a ride from Bangur Avenue to ITC Sonar a couple of weeks ago, was charged Rs 608 despite having an UberPASS. "Uber refunded Rs 508 after I used the Facebook route, saying it was a technical error," he said.
The Uber spokesperson insisted these were "isolated" incidents. "Having said that, we are constantly working on improving the product experience for our riders, In case of any discrepancy in fares, we strongly recommend that riders use the in-app support options to report the issue."
