In the hours following the deadliest mass shooting America has ever seen, Uber and Lyft were swift to respond to the needs of their affected customers, changing their pricing structures in the Las Vegas area in order to better assist victims of the attack.
In a statement made to Mashable, Uber said that charges would be waived for all rides that occurred “around the affected area” Sunday evening, and confirmed that the company would continue to offer free trips for passengers going to and from a variety of crisis-related locations.
Our hearts ache for everyone affected by this senseless tragedy. We stand ready to support the victims and the Las Vegas community as they recover from this devastating act. Shortly after hearing about the incident, we worked to ensure all rides from around the affected area were free of charge. Additionally, we are providing free rides to and from area hospitals, the family reunification center, and United Blood Services donor centers for those who wish to donate blood.
The report by Mashable also confirmed that while competitor Lyft did not offer free rides to affected passengers at the time of the attack, the company did waive the fees associated with “Prime Time” (its version of surge pricing) citywide last night, after being made aware of the situation.
We’re heartbroken. Our thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones. We suspended Prime Time immediately after we understood what was happening. We also communicated to drivers about the developing situation.
Both companies have been intensely criticized for their responses to previous terror attacks, which often resulted in passengers facing exorbitant fees due to high surge pricing in the midst of a crisis. Though they refunded the affected customers after the fact, the majority of critics cited the move as too little too late, as the damage to those trying to flee the attack was already done. This was likely the inspiration behind the swift, proactive measures taken by Uber and Lyft this time around. And it is likely why customers have had such a resoundingly positive response to the companies’ actions:
