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Uber tests ‘Flex' feature in India, allowing riders to choose tailored fare preferences (www.livemint.com)

submitted 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) by BuddyTheBeefalo@lemmy.ml to c/technology@lemmy.world

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As per a report from India Today, Uber Flex introduces a range of nine pricing choices for riders when booking a ride, departing from the conventional dynamic pricing model. Within these options, one price is designated as the default or starting price. Once a rider picks a particular fare from these nine alternatives, this selected fare is communicated to nearby drivers. In essence, riders now have the freedom to choose a fare that aligns with their comfort level for the journey.

Drivers are given the liberty to either approve or decline a ride depending on the fare chosen by the rider. If a driver agrees to the suggested fare, they will accept the ride and deliver the service at the specified price. Conversely, if the fare does not meet the driver's approval, they have the choice to decline the ride.

Uber is currently experimenting with the Flex feature in additional nations such as Lebanon, Kenya, and Latin America. As reported by TechCrunch, Uber intends to implement this innovative operational approach in major Indian cities like Delhi and Mumbai in the near future.

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[–] SkyezOpen@lemmy.world 12 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Wait they're trying to pay them even less now?

[–] BuddyTheBeefalo@lemmy.ml 14 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I think riders can bid more to have better chances to get accepted by drivers.

[–] echo64@lemmy.world 28 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I'm sure glad uber "disrupted" the industry from what it was to a marketplace of bidding for a taxi. The system we had previously where you said "I want a taxi" and then a taxi came, and then you paid for it and the driver was paid appropriately was obviously unworkable after working for a hundred years.

This isn't a dynstopian nightmare at all.

[–] circuscritic@lemmy.ca 19 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Uber is a cancer on society, but taxi's didn't just come when called.

Here's how it would work: call cab company at 6AM and request taxi pickup at 8:00 to take you to airport.

At 8:15AM, call dispatch back and ask where you taxi is. Dispatch tells you they're almost there.

8:45AM call dispatch again, and they'll tell you they're about to pull up.

9:30AM call dispatch and cancel pickup

9:32AM Taxi arrives and it smells like the physical manifestation of 1970s porn set that allowed smoking.

There is a reason why the taxi industry got wrecked so quickly: it sucked, badly.

[–] candybrie@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Tell me you didn't take taxis without telling me you didn't take taxis.

From not showing up for hours to weird routes to drive up the meter to "malfunctioning" credit card readers, taxis sucked. And the medallion system in places would give companies something of a monopoly.

[–] neptune@dmv.social 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Pre covid, I needed an Uber pool to go a few miles. We go halfway and wait for his other pick up. We sit and wait the seven minutes or whatever. The person never comes. So I eventually get dropped off.... And then Uber charges me the full rate. So not only did I arrive at least seven minutes later than I should have, but I paid MORE than agreed for the pleasure.

[–] candybrie@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

Being (justifiably) upset about 7 minutes late and having to pay the full rate shows how far we've come from taxis of a couple decades ago.

[–] 1rre@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I mean it depends on where... In London the taxis, although expensive and often not the politest to other road users, are nearly universally great service for the customer (and mathematically it very rarely makes sense to run up the meter due to how demand and the fare system works) and also pay the drivers a decent wage as they generally don't have a middleman to pay other than the government for their licence

That said, in the US (specifically New York) my experience was that ubers are generally nicer than taxis, but it's definitely not universal