During the early hours of the hostage situation at a café in Sydney, the car service Uber drastically raised its prices in the area, setting off a flurry of criticism and a quick policy change.
As the hostage situation unfolded at a café in Sydney, the car service Uber drastically raised its prices in the area, setting off a flurry of criticism and a quick policy change.
The incident in the city’s central business district began when a man took over a dozen people captive. A black Islamic flag was displayed in the window.
Fears arose that a terrorist attack was imminent, and people in the area struggled to find ways out of it.
Uber made announcement via Twitter, “We are all concerned with events in CBD. Fares have increased to encourage more drivers to come online & pick up passengers in the area.”
At one point ride costs reached the equivalent of around 80 US dollars, and the public was quick to express its dissatisfaction over Uber’s decision.
Before long, Uber reconsidered and informed the public that all rides out of the area would be free of charge. Those who had already paid for services would be reimbursed and drivers compensated by the company.
They also mentioned that it wasn’t their intention for prices to go as high as they did, rather it was an algorithm that automatically set the fares based on demand.
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