Uber & Lyft Give Out Refunds After Tuesday's Surge Pricing, Commute Ordeal

By Stephen Gossett in News on Aug 18, 2017 2:55PM

Commuters wait outside the Belmont CTA station after service disruption / Photo: Emma Reed

Fares for Uber and Lyft rides skyrocketed after the morning commute turned into a transit nightmare on Tuesday morning when North Side trains were halted after a body was discovered on CTA tracks, at the Fullerton station. Now, both rideshare companies are offering refunds to those who were hit with the shot-up rates.

Uber started issuing refunds on Thursday morning to riders who paid above-normal fares following the incident and its resultant hours-long delay.

“Every transportation provider -- public and private -- has a role to play in keeping our communities moving. And due to the tragic incident Tuesday morning, our communities felt stranded," said a spokesperson for Uber in a statement to Chicagoist. "Uber knows that people rely on us to get from A to B, and we’re proud to serve riders in every neighborhood across Chicago."

"While we took steps to help mitigate the impact on commuters as soon as we learned of the CTA stoppage, we have issued refunds to riders who experienced higher-than-average prices in the affected areas," the spokesperson said.

Lyft is also reportedly issuing refunds for customers who contact the company.

Some rideshare fares on Tuesday morning were reportedly near $100 for a downtown trip, and some two-mile trips charged $20.

Both Uber and Lyft said on Tuesday they tried to get more drivers on the road to meet the spiked demand. Lyft offered "monetary incentives" to drivers to lure them to affected areas. Uber on Tuesday said the company "worked to diligently monitor the situation and get more drivers on the road to help ensure riders could get from A to B." But demand still remained high, and so too did surge-price fares.

Uber drivers will still keep the money they earned working the Tuesday morning rush.