If you get a kick out of being late for your Uber ride just to see your driver’s veins pop, you might want to change things up a bit.

Why?

Because Uber has implemented the ‘Wait Time System’ that will literally make you pay for being late.

On 3 October 2017, Uber announced the move in a press statement.

We’re pleased to announce that we will be launching Wait Time Fee on Wednesday, 4th October 2017. Our aim is to give our riders and driver-partners a smooth Uber experience, every time.

For drivers, we understand it can be frustrating to wait for riders for long periods of time. Thanks to your feedback, starting today, we are introducing a Wait Time Fee for all riders so that the fees you receive fairly reflect the time you spend on the road!

For riders, when you request a ride, our driver-partners make the effort to arrive at your pickup location on time. As a rider, we’d like to encourage you to only request a ride when you’re near the pickup location and ready to meet the driver.

To ensure that our driver-partners get their due for the time spent on the road, they will wait for up to 3 minutes after arriving at the pickup location.

After which, a wait-time fee will be charged to the rider.

How does it work?

Transcript:

Step 1

• When the driver is approaching the rider’s pickup location, the rider will be notified that the driver is arriving now.

Note: Riders will receive a notification when the driver has arrived, and that they have 3 minutes before Wait Time charges begin.

Step 2

• Once the driver has arrived at the pickup location, the in-app counter will start timing your wait time.

Step 3

• Once the driver has waited for 3 minutes, the timer will mention the rider is being charged. For every minute that passes, the driver will receive a fee of $0.20.
• After 5 minutes upon arrival, the driver will be given the option to cancel the trip and will receive the Cancellation Fee.

Step 4

• Once you can confirm the rider is in the car, swipe ‘Start Trip’ to begin the journey. At the end of the trip, riders and drivers will see the amount charged for Wait Time in their trip receipts.

Note: Wait Time Fee is only charged to riders for trips that are completed. If a trip is cancelled within less than 5 mins of waiting, drivers will not be eligible for a cancellation fee. If a trip is cancelled after 5 mins of waiting, drivers will receive a cancellation fee.

Which trips will be affected by the new Wait Time System?

Wait Time Fee is only applicable to uberX, XL, Exec, ExecLarge and LiveUp trips.

Are Wait Time fees subjected to Uber service fees?

Yep; they are subjected to the standard Uber service fee.

What happens to Wait Time fees when it’s surging?

It goes with the flow.

Which means that yeah; they will surge accordingly as well.

What does this mean for us?

No more dilly-dallying, folks. Unless you guys want to offer the driver some extra income, it’s time to buck up and rush for that ride so fast you make the Flash look yo fat mama.

On a serious note, does it really even out the playing ground?

This is a what-if scenario: the driver arrives ahead of the scheduled time, and the clock starts thinking.

The passenger, on the other hand, encountered a traffic light bug which made it a practical pedestrian jam. When he does arrive, the driver has earned a few cents for something the passenger wasn’t responsible for.

Sure, Uber did request riders to book rides only when they are near the pickup point and ready to meet the driver. But if life works so perfectly, it wouldn’t be called life, would it? There are other factors that just cannot be substituted into the equation, and ironically it’s these that might cost you that few cents in the end.

Food for thought, eh?

In any case, let’s all endeavour to be punctual, just for that few cents!

P.s. had my workplace implemented this system, I will probably be poorer than that Ah Hock across the street who scrapes your foot rot for a living.

Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase: time is money, eh?

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This article was first published on goodyfeed.com

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