Edmonton Man Charged $1,100 For Uber Ride on NYE, Uber to Refund Half

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According to a report from CTV News, an Edmonton man was charged more than $1,000 for an hour-long drive home on New Year’s Eve.

The fare normally would have normally cost $125, but because of the surge in pricing the cost was increased 8.9 times higher to a total of $1,114. Uber responded to the surge in prices by saying:

“The surge pricing helps ensure that riders can always push a button and get a ride within minutes – even on the busiest night of the year.”

On Saturday, an Uber spokesperson added that the company has been in touch with the rider and will review his charges. Today, CTV News Edmonton reported that Uber will refund half of the rider’s bill for his New Year’s Eve trip from southeast Edmonton to St. Albert.

In an email statement, an Uber Canada spokesperson said:

“Our goal is to make sure you can always push a button and get a ride within minutes, even on the busiest night of the year, and surge pricing helps ensure that choice is always available.”

City Councillor Andrew Knack supports allowing ride-sharing apps to operate in Edmonton, however they must operate with proper regulation. In a statement, Knack said:

“You think about taxis, people were waiting two or three hours that night. They were guaranteed to pay that lower rate but they had to wait a long time. So Uber, and companies like Uber, just provide a different choice. If you don’t want to wait, there’s an option but you have to pay quite a bit more.”

In the end, the rider who was charged $1,100 for an Uber ride still believes that Uber provides great service for Edmonton and the option is a great one for consumers.

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