Uber fans who have the bad habit of keeping their drivers waiting should be wary -- the app is rolling out a penalty for riders failing to show up on time. The cancellation policy was tested by drivers in the cities of Phoenix and Dallas and in the states New York and New Jersey, who have had the ability to add on a $5 to $10 fee when passengers make them wait for more than two minutes. Now, other cities are joining the list and the feature will be gradually rolled out across the country.
“Your time is valuable, so it’s frustrating when riders run late or cancel when you’re already at the pickup location,” said Uber in a blog post to drivers. “We’ve been trying something new: paying drivers for wait times that exceed two minutes. In the cities where we’ve been testing this, we’ve seen that riders are more likely to be prompt. We’ll be expanding the policy to a dozen U.S. cities this month, with more coming soon.”
Uber first announced its new cancellation program in April after drivers complained about customers making them wait. Prior to this, Uber gave riders five minutes to reach their ride.
“We’re testing something new: paying drivers for wait times that exceed 2 minutes,” said Uber in a blog post in April. “While we encourage riders to only request a ride when they’re ready, we understand that sometimes they are running a little behind. In these cases drivers will be compensated for the extra minutes they need.”
Passengers will also be charged a cancellation fee if they cancel a ride two minutes after ordering it and a no-show fee after a driver waits five minutes. By adding a penalty, Uber aims to help drivers earn more.
“Many drivers say they choose Uber because they want to be their own boss, set their own schedule, and get work at the touch of a button,” said Uber in a blog post. “There are plenty of things we can do to make driving more empowering and worth your while. And beginning today, we are rolling out a number of features and rewards in more cities to help you get the most out of your time on the road.”
