Uber has dropped its UberX prices by 15 percent in the greater Washington D.C. area starting Friday in a promotion running for at least a couple of weeks and possibly longer. The new prices are an attempt to boost the number of Uber rides during a time when people are just too cold to go out much, but they also put D.C. in line with dozens of other cities that dropped their prices a few weeks ago. Uber believes that lower prices will be more than made up for by new customers and more frequent rides, but has promised to make up the income of any UberX drivers who don't make as much or more than before the price drop.
"We've done this in so many markets across the country," said Uber spokesman Taylor Bennett. "We're guaranteeing the earnings for drivers because we're so confident that it's going to work."
The price drop has no set end date, it will depend on how well it goes. Bennett said that if Uber sees growth in the number and frequency of rides and how much drivers are making, it could last a lot longer, even though its technically just a seasonal promotion.
"Winter time is usually slower," he said. "Folks aren't riding as much, they're staying indoors. This is a way to dramatically increase rides."
It certainly won't hurt Uber's larger efforts to boost its popularity after a spate of negative attention last year. Lower prices the day after offering puppies to play with may not have been deliberate, but it could certainly keep up new user momentum. According to Uber, it only costs $5 to get from Geogetown to Dupont Circle, Logan Circle to the Verizon Center or Reston Town Center to the Wiehle Metro station.
Along with lower prices, Uber is also offering 25 percent off the next ride to anyone who waits 10 minutes or more between ordering a car and getting picked up until Feb. 13. Bennett said that it's unlikely, as the average wait time is just a few minutes in D.C., but if you're waiting a long time, especially in the winter cold, it might keep more people willing to wait for their ride.
The new promotions may be necessary just to keep people interested in keeping up with ride-sharing and not taking it for granted. Plus, as Uber, Lyft and Sidecar battle for the market in the D.C. area, they all need things to distinguish themselves from their competition as much as from other kinds of transportation.
"People are embracing ride-share more and more, it's ingrained in their daily lives," Bennett said. "These are ways to show you'll get an inexpensive, reliable ride."
