this post was submitted on 06 Jan 2024
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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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[–] linearchaos@lemmy.world 25 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Turn off the radio playing the eagles at full volume $5.99

Turn the heat off in midsummer $3.50

Skip any and all pleasantries $6.99

Stay in the right side of the road $12.50

[–] BuddyTheBeefalo@lemmy.ml 17 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

In India, you already need to book 'premium cars' to get a vehicle with seatbelts.

[–] ivanafterall@kbin.social 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

So I can pay more or live out Indian Hotel California? Easy choice.

[–] linearchaos@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] Hadriscus@lemm.ee 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

That's a name no one would self-apply where I come from

[–] linearchaos@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I don't know about you but I take comfort in that, It's good knowin he's out there.

[–] Hadriscus@lemm.ee 2 points 10 months ago

The film led me to listen to Townes Van Zandt, particularly his closing tune "Dead Flowers" (take me doooown, little Suzie...). I play it on the guitar, but I don't sing it very well. Read up on that man if that's your thing

[–] GiveOver@feddit.uk -4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Fuck you man if you dont like my fucking music, get your own fucking cab. I'll pull over to the side and kick your ass out.

[–] linearchaos@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Dude, come on man I had a rough night.

Seems like all the people voting around here are just nihilists. ;)

edit: note the parent to this comment needs to be upvoted, "he's a good man and thorough."

[–] GiveOver@feddit.uk 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] Hadriscus@lemm.ee 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Bran can't watch or he has to pay 100$

[–] linearchaos@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

Aww nice marmot...

[–] postnataldrip@lemmy.world 25 points 10 months ago

Sounds like DIY surge pricing

[–] 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 (3 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.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 35 points 10 months ago (1 children)

where you said “I want a taxi” and then a taxi came

Lol

Waving a taxi down could work like the movies. And they often say around bars to take people home.

But if you wanted picked up from a home by a taxi, you'd call and a taxi would show sometime between 5 minutes and 2 hours. Sometimes longer, sometimes not at all.

Taxis fucking sucked

[–] deeroh@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 10 months ago

Totally agree, but I feel like the problem was the booking system, not the taxi.

I was traveling recently, and Uber had partnered with a local taxi company to handle ride requests. It was awesome. You get the convenience and speed of calling an Uber, but the vehicles and drivers are all regulated and paid by the taxi company. No questionable gig economy work, no wondering if the driver is getting paid fairly, no concerns over shady drivers, no ill-kept vehicles.

[–] 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

[–] spiderman@ani.social 11 points 10 months ago

Even if the drivers accept the ride, at the end of the ride they always end up asking for another 50 or 100 rupees.