Passengers affected by the country’s worst train strike in 30 years have slammed taxi app Uber for raising prices during the strike’s days.
As the Rail, Maritime, and Transport union strikes officially began Monday, bringing the country to a stop, travel costs skyrocketed.
Taxi companies have confessed that they were anticipating a “substantial” increase in demand during the protests.
When demand exceeds the amount of cars available, Uber’s app automatically raises costs.
Some Uber drivers looked delighted they could help, although at a higher charge, according to Twitter users who vented their frustrations on the social media network.
One customer said: ‘Great Uber driver tells me he ‘saved me this morning’.
‘Fair enough pal – but you did charge £30 with nearly a 50% surge.’
Another said they had been billed £1.50 a minute as the RMT action had started.
They added: ‘Fuming why Uber wanted to charge me £15 for a less than ten minute ride but then I remembered that the rail strike starts today so of course they’re increasing their prices.’
A further Twitter user agreed: ‘Uber will be surge pricing all through this rail strike.’
Twitter uses aired their grievances on the social media platform this morning in rush hour
One reported that they had been charged the equivalent of £1.50 a minute to get a taxi home
Another warned Uber’s prices would be surging throughout the RMT action due to demand
However, one traveler just expressed their dissatisfaction with the charges, declaring that they ‘f****** loathe’ them.
Thousands of members of the RMT union at Network Rail and 13 train operators will go on strike on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, in the largest rail strike in a decade.
From Monday evening, services across the UK were disrupted, with just one in every five trains operating on strike days, particularly on key routes and for only 11 hours.
Today is also a strike day for London Underground employees.
Uber claimed there was’significant’ demand and that it had alerted drivers to guarantee that enough cars were on the road.
Travellers are seeing surge pricing with Uber, because the fare increases automatically in response to real-time demand when there are not enough available cars – although the company caps surge prices during periods of significant disruption.
A spokesperson said: ‘We are expecting significant increases in demand as a result of strike action across the rail network next week.
‘We are informing drivers of the expected increase in demand to help ensure there are enough cars out on the road.’
Elsewhere, in London Addison Lee taxis had limited availability on Tuesday morning during the main commuting hours.
Social media users have been complaining about trying to book taxis to airports but being faced with huge fares.
Lisa Grimm tweeted: ‘Attempting to pre-book a bus from Gatwick for Tuesday, since it looks like the rail strike is going ahead, and they are all gone; taxi quote is £133, so that’s fun.’
Alexis Rodney wrote on Twitter: ‘They want £200 for a taxi from Heathrow to London to cover them for the train strike. I will walk like Chaucer and the Pilgrims before I pay that.’
A London cabby with the Twitter handle @GreenBadgeE1 wrote: ‘We London Taxi drivers will be out to support you during strikes.
‘[Please] note the traffic may be more than usual and fares might be higher plz don’t take out your frustrations on us.’
Downing Street warned on Monday that it will be ‘extremely difficult’ commuting during the rail strikes.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: ‘For those that have no choice but to come in it will be extremely difficult tomorrow and I think the public will understandably want to know why they are being put in this position.’