Uber was busy on New Year’s Eve
BY CHARLES FLEMING
The ride-sharing service Uber gave 2 million rides globally over New Year’s Eve, breaking company records.
More than 100,000 drivers and riders were in an Uber car at the stroke of midnight, the company said Thursday.
More than 50,000 people used Uber at least twice through the night, when service appeared to peak in most areas around 2:30 a.m. Service seemed to be at its lowest point around 11 p.m., when the fewest number of rides of the night were being taken.
The company reported New Year’s Eve was good for new business too. About 20,000 downloaded the Uber app, many of them presumably for the first time, to become Uber customers.
Uber had predicted that it anticipated its busiest night ever.
It also warned existing customers, on its website and in direct email announcements to users, that “surge pricing” would be in effect during peak hours, when demand would be at its highest. The email told customers they might pay as much as $100 for even a short ride.
Many consumers in L.A. said the opposite was true and reported paying normal rates even during the busy post-midnight period.
Competing service Lyft also said ahead of the holiday that New Year’s Eve 2014 would be its biggest night ever. The company did not respond to requests for data after the holiday had passed. charles.fleming
@ latimes.com
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