Gas surcharges for Uber, Uber Eats customers in effect Wednesday; one driver says they won't be enough

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Gas surcharges on rideshares start up Wednesday for Uber and Uber Eats customers.

But as CBS 2's Tara Molina reported, the drivers - already paying higher prices at the pump – say customers should brace for more than just the 35- to 55-cent difference. Drivers say even with the surcharges, certain trips are just more profitable - and those are the ones they'll be prioritizing.

CBS 2's Marissa Parra reported a "Temporary Fuel Surcharge" added to Uber rides Wednesday. 

George Keske is a full-time rideshare and delivery driver. These days, the gas prices are getting to him.

"The highest I've seen for gas was at $5.50," Keske said.

He says full-time freedom means double the hours to make the same amount of money.

"Before, I was driving about six hours a day," Keske said. "Now. I'm anywhere from having to do 10 to12."

As for the 45- to 55-cent fuel surcharges Uber is adding to trips, and 35- to 45-cent surcharges on Uber Eats orders - which are starting Wednesday and meant to help drivers – Keske said they are insufficient.

"It's not going to cover our costs," he said.

And that means he'll change what he does - skipping food deliveries.

"I'll stop doing deliveries completely now," Keske said.

Keske said with the time food orders take, in addition to the drive and delivery, he won't be doing those anymore - and says others feel the same way.

"The average is $3 to $4 for a delivery, so you've got 45 minutes tied up for $4," Keske said.

A spokesperson for Lyft said its customers will also soon face a temporary fuel surcharge that like Uber's, will go to drivers. On Wednesday, Lyft announced it will ad a 55 cent surcharge to every ride starting next week, and all of that money will go directly to drivers to help offset fuel costs.

"Drivers can expect these additional earnings for at least the next 60 days," the company said in an announcement on its website.

Food delivery companies such as DoorDash and Caviar haven't addressed concerns like Keske's yet, about moving away from food delivery, but a spokeswoman said they aren't adding any gas surcharges to order costs:

"We are proud to provide Dashers with access to discounts on gas and other car maintenance to help them maximize their earnings, including 2% cashback on gas at any station for DasherDirect cardholders, and making additional car maintenance discounts available for all Dashers. We're always eager to hear from Dashers on ways we can support them and provide meaningful resources on and off the road."

This also applies to Caviar orders.

"They're definitely going to lose drivers," Keske said, "because drivers can't afford to be out there no more."

Uber spokespeople say the surcharges will be in place for the next 60 days. Uber U.S. and Canada head of driver operations Liza Winship issued this statement:

"We know drivers and couriers are feeling the sting of record-high prices at the pump, so we're rolling out a temporary fuel surcharge to help. This consumer surcharge will apply to each ride or delivery and will vary by location, with 100% going directly to drivers and couriers. Our hope is that this temporary measure will help ease the burden, but we'll continue to listen to feedback and may make changes in the future. Importantly, we're also seizing this moment to bolster our efforts to help drivers make the switch to electric vehicles."

The surcharge applies nationwide everywhere except New York City, where rideshare drivers received a 5.3 percent increase to the minimum earnings standard.

The surcharge is intended to soften the burden of gas prices rather than cover the cost of all gas, Uber said.

Uber also made a point of saying its vehicles tend to be much more fuel-efficient than average, and driver earnings are still relatively high as compared with historical trends.

Lyft noted that its own internal analysis shows drivers are spending 75 cents more on gas per hour compared with a year ago. Lyft also noted that it has launched a fuel cashback program to help drivers mitigate the price hike.

In:
• Gas Prices
• Uber