Concerned about escalating Uber fares? The ride-hailing giant is experimenting with a solution to address this issue. According to a TechCrunch report, Uber is developing ‘Uber Flex,’ a new feature that allows users to choose their ride fare based on their preferences. This innovation isn’t entirely unfamiliar to Indian users. InDrive, a California-based company operating in multiple Indian cities, already allows users to set their preferred fare. Notably, InDrive’s pricing is believed to be 10 to 15 percent more affordable compared to other major ride-hailing services in India, including Uber and Ola.

TechCrunch report reveals that Uber started testing the Uber Flex feature in October last year, and started testing it in Indian cities including Aurangabad, Ajmer, Bareilly, Chandigarh, Coimbatore, Dehradun, Gwalior, Indore, Jodhpur and Surat. “We are piloting this feature in some of the Tier 2 and 3 markets in India currently,” Uber told the publication.

Here’s how Uber Flex works:

Uber Flex provides riders with nine different pricing options to choose from when they’re booking a ride instead of the usual dynamic pricing. Among these options, one price is set as the default or initial price.

When a rider selects a specific fare from these nine options, this chosen fare is then shared with nearby drivers. Essentially, riders have the flexibility to pick a fare that they’re comfortable paying for their ride.

Upon receiving this proposed fare, drivers have the freedom to either accept or decline the ride based on the fare that the rider has chosen. If a driver agrees to the proposed fare, they will accept the ride and provide the service at that particular price. However, if the fare is not acceptable to the driver, they have the option to reject the ride.

This system essentially allows riders to have more control over the price they’re willing to pay for their ride, while giving drivers the choice to accept or decline based on the fare offered by the rider.

This service by Uber is mainly for making cheaper trips using Uber Go within cities or between cities in certain areas. Occasionally, it’s also offered for fancier Premier rides and auto-rickshaw trips.

You can pay for these rides either with cash or through digital payment methods. However, it’s important to know that not all types of rides in every city have this flexible pricing from Uber.

Uber is testing this Flex feature in other countries like Lebanon, Kenya, and Latin America. According to TechCrunch, Uber plans to try out this new way of operating in major cities in India, like Delhi and Mumbai, very soon.

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