Uber Hikes Fares By 10-15% In Delhi-NCR

Uber rides are set to become 10-15 percent more expensive in the national capital, Uber said in a media statement. The firm has increased the tariffs from Re 1 to Rs 1.5 per minute for ‘UberX' and ‘UberGo' but this hike is only applicable on the ride time fare and not the base fare, the company clarified.

Uber charges Rs 6 per km up to 20 km and Rs 12 per km thereafter at a base fare of Rs 60 for UberGO. The ride time charges – calculated on the basis of total time of the ride – for 'UberPOOL' and 'UberX' have also been hiked to Rs 1.5 per minute.

In an earlier interaction with PTI, an Uber spokesperson said, "Starting January 5, 2017, we have made some changes to our pricing structure in Delhi-NCR in order to serve the city better." Last year, Uber had introduced an 'upfront fare' under which the company calculates and shows rates depending on expected time and distance of travel and local traffic. The fares fluctuate depending on demand.

Affordable pricing has been one of the important factors driving the uptake of on-demand taxi services in the country.

Uber is engaged in an intense battle in the Indian market with local rival Ola as well as radio taxi operators like Meru. The company, which operates in 29 Indian cities, counts India as its second largest market, after the U.S.

An earlier version of this story sourced from PTI incorrectly stated that Uber had hiked fares by 50 percent in Delhi-NCR, and has now been updated with the clarification issued by the company.