The ride-sharing, taxi-alternative service Uber estimated its drivers would give more than 2 million rides globally on New Year’s Eve – making the night Uber’s biggest ever.
The company also advised that those drivers would be charging prime-time prices of as much as seven times regular fares.
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Uber is reviving a practice of allowing its drivers to charge extra during the peak hours. The policy known as “surge pricing” was in effect from 12:30 a.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday.
The company said on its website that the highest fares could top $100.
Riders weren’t surprised, though. The Uber app notified them if surge pricing was in effect, and gave them an idea of what the price would be. Smart riders, Uber said, booked their rides for before 12:30 a.m. or after 3 a.m.
Competing service Lyft used a special pricing structure, too. The pink-mustached company’s “PrimeTime” pricing resulted in higher fees for riders.
Lyft declined to put a number on its expected New Year’s Eve business, but a company representative said the night would be the company’s biggest to date.
Uber had a big year. The service expanded its operations to 266 cities, up from 66 a year ago, in 53 countries. Uber drew in new funding that grew its total valuation to a staggering $40 billion.
A company representative said Uber had already given 140 million rides in 2014 before New Year’s Eve kicked in.
It also suffered its share of knocks. Multiple municipalities have questioned the company’s tactics and legalities, leading to cessations of Uber’s service in cities in Oregon, Nevada and elsewhere. The company has also been outlawed in the Netherlands and Thailand. On Dec. 31, Uber ceased operations in Spain after facing legal roadblocks and pushback from local taxi companies.
Uber said that for every U.S. transaction it handled on New Year’s Eve, it will donate $1 to Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
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