• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

As U.S. Treasury intervened in the bond market, the Netherlands rushed 86 tons of gold out of America because of ‘geopolitical unrest’

2

New LA Angels owner Stan Kroenke is quietly America's largest private landowner, boasting 2.7 million acres and besting Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos

3

'Critical employees will begin to retire': Trump’s new pay plan will deny most federal roles a raise, and it has workers warning of a retention crunch

1

As U.S. Treasury intervened in the bond market, the Netherlands rushed 86 tons of gold out of America because of ‘geopolitical unrest’

2

New LA Angels owner Stan Kroenke is quietly America's largest private landowner, boasting 2.7 million acres and besting Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos

3

'Critical employees will begin to retire': Trump’s new pay plan will deny most federal roles a raise, and it has workers warning of a retention crunch

Uber responds to ‘striking’ Boston drivers

By
Dan Primack
Dan Primack
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Dan Primack
Dan Primack
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 23, 2013, 7:06 PM ET
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

FORTUNE — We’re making it up with volume.

That seems to be the message Uber is sending to its UberX drivers in Boston, many of whom apparently are planning to ‘strike’ this afternoon by not picking up passengers. Their complaint is a recent fare cut, which slashed some prices by 30%. For example:

Source: Uber blog

For the uninitiated, UberX is an on-demand ride service much like the traditional Uber, except with “regular” cars rather than black towncars or SUVs. Less luxury, lower cost. It also is the part of Uber that has come under the most competitive pressure from other VC-backed startups, most notably Lyft.

So it’s been cutting its prices all over the place, including in Boston. An Uber spokeswoman declined to say if the UberX price changes affect service profitability, but disputes the notion that they are costing drivers money. Instead, she argues that they have increased usage so much that drivers actually are making more now than they were before.

RELATED: More details on Uber’s massive funding round

From a related Uber blog post, which came after news of the ‘strike’ broke:

As we’ve seen in other cities, lower fares have resulted in greater gross income for the transportation providers we partner with. In fact, Boston’s uberX drivers are earning 22% more per hour since Boston’s uberX fares dropped a week ago. This additional income has also resulted in a 5% increase in the amount of time that drivers are spending on the system, resulting in 30% more income per week for drivers since our price cut last week.

It will be interesting to see if this data satisfies UberX drivers in Boston, who are said to number around 500.

Sign up for Dan’s daily email newsletter on deals and deal-makers: GetTermSheet.com

About the Author
By Dan Primack
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.