With vehicles being responsible for almost 30% of all CO2 emissions generated in Europe, there has been a great deal of concern over the best way to offset this balance. And it’s understandable that pressure is being put on car manufacturers and private hire companies to do something about this themselves.
Uber put its money where its mouth is in early 2019, introducing a surcharge as part of its “Clean Air Plan”. This is an added charge that helps the company with its commitment to improving sustainability measures. Read on to learn more about what Uber’s Clean Air Fee is for, and to whom it applies.
What is the Uber Clean Air Fee?
A critical element of Uber’s wider plans around combatting vehicular contributions to climate change, the company’s Clean Air Fee is a small per-mile charge on each journey. Announced in late 2018, and put in place the following January, the fee adds 15p per mile to fares on every trip booked through the Uber app in London. However, there are no additional charges on the miles driven to get to and from each passenger.
All of this money will give drivers financial support towards upgrading their vehicles to an electric model and pay for maintenance once they have done so, as well as other clean air initiatives to be announced in the future. The average trip in London shows that the charge will be around 45p. Uber has also pledged to assist every driver who uses its app in buying an electric car, with the money raised in proportion to the number of miles they have driven on the app.
Although Uber drivers primarily use hybrid cars, the company is expecting to raise more than £200 million to help drivers move to electric vehicles, which are exempt from paying the congestion charge until 2025. The rideshare giant wants all of its cars to be electric by 2025, with an expectation that the first 20,000 drivers will have upgraded to electric vehicles by the end of 2021.
Who’s eligible for the Clean Air Fee?
Uber’s Clean Air Fee will apply to all journeys travelled in London, within the M25 area, by both full-time and part-time staff. Every PCO driver working for Uber will be subject to these fees, as will all new starters going forward. More information about the terms and conditions of the Uber Clean Air Plan are available on the website.