Uber raises minimum fares by as much as 80 per cent in Hong Kong amid drivers’ calls for better income security
Flag fall in Kowloon and New Territories up 80 per cent from HK$25 to HK$45, including new booking fee
Ride-hailing firm Uber has raised the minimum fares for all rides in Hong Kong by as much as 80 per cent from Monday after “an evaluation of the marketplace” and in response to its drivers’ calls for better income security.
The minimum fare for an UberX ride – the cheapest car option the company offers, and its most popular – in Kowloon and the New Territories rose from HK$25 to HK$40 after midnight on Monday.
And the company added a new HK$5 booking fee, which it said would help cover administrative costs, boosting the new flag fall to HK$45, or an 80 per cent jump.
The minimum charge for an UberX ride on Hong Kong Island has risen from HK$30 to HK$40. The new booking fee will also apply.
UberX uses smaller and economy car models at a lower rate, compared to the company’s luxury UberBlack line, which provides professional drivers and pricier cars.
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For UberBlack the new minimum fare is HK$60, up from HK$50, plus the HK$5 booking fee.