These charts will help you plan your Uber ride on New Year's Eve
Uber published a blog post today that aims to help UK party-goers plan their journey home after the New Year's Eve (NYE) celebrations on Thursday evening/Friday morning.
The post contains two useful charts.
The first shows how Uber expects prices to vary on New Year's Eve due to surge pricing:
The "dynamic pricing" chart shows how Uber prices will rise and fall throughout the evening.
Justifying the price surges, Uber wrote: "Dynamic pricing applies to ensure there's always a ride available - no matter what the occasion. On New Year's Eve, demand for Uber tends to peak between 12.30 and 3am , when everyone's leaving the party. At time like these - when demand outstrips supply - increased rates may apply to encourage more drivers to come to the area.
"Dynamic pricing shouldn't be a surprise. You'll always be notified if higher prices are in effect and you can run a Fare Estimate in the app before you ride. If you're using uberPOOL, you'll see a fixed fare, 25% cheaper than uberX, that takes into account any dynamic pricing."
The second chart, technically a map, shows demand for Uber on NYE based on historical data. Essentially, it shows what times demand is highest over the course of the night.
Based on the map Uber provided, large swathes of Central London will be demanding Uber at certain times, with Embankment, Westminster and Blackfriars (in blue) peaking around 2PM, and large parts of the Square Mile seeing a surge around 10PM.
"Request away from pedestrianised zones for a hassle-free pick up," Uber suggests.
A second blog post for Uber users outside London can be read here. Since arriving in London in 2012, the company has expanded the service to several other UK cities, including Manchester, Edinburgh, Leeds, Birmingham, Bristol, and Glasgow.
The NYE tips will be sent to all Uber users in the UK by email tomorrow.