Uber drivers are finally going to receive a much-needed fuel surcharge, paid for by riders

Uber has just sent out an email to drivers informing them that they will receive a fuel surcharge that will be charged directly to riders.

From Uber:

“Introducing temporary fuel assistance
We know the unprecedented spike in gas prices and rising energy costs have affected how much money you’re taking home.

To help, we’re rolling out temporary fuel assistance on Wednesday, March 16, for all drivers and couriers, including those with electric vehicles.

In Houston, your customers will pay a $0.55 surcharge on every ride and a $0.45 surcharge on every delivery—and 100% of the surcharge will go directly to you. This means that if you complete 40 rides in a week, you’ll get an extra $22.00 that week. Similarly, if you complete 40 deliveries in a week, you’ll get an extra $18.00 that week.

We plan to reevaluate the situation in 60 days. At that point, we’ll consider gas prices and your feedback in determining whether or not to continue this fuel assistance surcharge.”

Fifty-Five cents is not a whole lot considering Uber has slowly decreased prices while gas prices steadily rose over the last few years. This hardly covers the spike in gas in the last two weeks, here in Houston, but it is a step in the right direction. Sixty days is a bit extreme to wait though, considering gas prices are continuing to rise at record rates, but it is the thought that counts right?