Uber is going for the jugular in the escalating cab wars, dropping its prices in New York City to carve out a bigger share of the market, The Post has learned.
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Effective immediately, UberX fares will be cut by 15 percent – a result of a lower base fare and a lower rate for both miles and minutes.
Minimum UberX fares are now $7, instead of $8.
Now, a ride from midtown to La Guardia, which would have cost $43.67 before, will cost $37.12 and a ride from Chelsea to the East Village that used to cost $13.18 will cost $11.20, said the company.
In all, Uber X and Uber XL riders will see their total fares drop by 15%. The cuts have already started in some cities, but will extend to all planned areas by today. Uber drivers first took a rate cut in July 2014 in an effort to undercut taxi rates.
Potential customers say the price drop will make them more likely to use the ride-sharing company.
While this is great news for the many Uber users in NYC, it’s not so great for taxi drivers who continue to face growing competition from the private company. “We want to be one of the most affordable rides on the road and we do think this is going to spur the demand, especially in the outer boroughs where taxis tend to not even serve”.
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Some drivers, who claim they sometimes wait for up to 30 minutes between fares, say they are happy with the change.
