The Uber platform has once again stirred up controversy with its practices on the island of Ibiza. As well as picking up passengers at taxi ranks where they are not permitted to do so and performing improper manoeuvres, they are now adding to the ‘cut’ they took (or at least attempted to take) from the misfortune of others caused by the devastating storms on Tuesday.
People who needed to get around on the day of the storm in Ibiza contacted Periódico de Ibiza y Formentera to report that the Uber app was showing fares of over 90 euros, with some options exceeding 100 euros. It should be noted that the roads were flooded, with some, such as the E10 and the airport road, completely submerged and impassable, necessitating the use of alternative routes.
The following day and even two days later, when normality was returning to Ibiza thanks to the large-scale deployment of emergency services, it was impossible to book any journeys on the island via the app. Forty-eight hours later, you open the app and it won’t let you book trips, even during periods of high demand. Don’t try to request a vehicle through the app after 48 hours because they won’t offer you one. It has been proven that they don’t care about their users. Bear this in mind the next time you want to use Uber,» denounced the Elite Corsaris del Taxi de Ibiza association in a video posted on social media.
As this newspaper has verified, there were drivers available this Friday, but the app warns you that prices are higher than usual. When demand is high, Uber scandalously raises its prices, unlike taxis which are regulated by official fares. So, despite the E10 road being open to traffic again and normality being restored in Ibiza, this Friday, Uber drivers are available for the aforementioned journey from the Es Viver neighbourhood in the municipality of Ibiza to Can Misses Hospital for almost 20 euros, whereas the same journey in a normal taxi would cost barely 8 or 9 euros.