Fair’s fare: Hamilton Uber prices revealed

Uber has revealed pricing for Hamilton as it prepares to launch.

The ride sharing platform launches in Hamilton tomorrow, in time for its first major test: the Rugby Sevens weekend.

Over the weekend of February 3, around 23,600 fans are expected to descend upon the city, with nearly 10,000 from out of town and many from Uber-acquainted Auckland.

Uber New Zealand general manager Richard Menzies said there would be ‘‘dozens’’ of drivers registered with the company for launch.

Hundreds have expressed interest, he said.

‘‘What we normally see when we launch new cities, we get a bit of a kick in the coming weeks once we’re live in the city.’’

Uber has provided the price for a number of sample fares, which give an indication of the cost of the service.

A trip from University of Waikato to Hamilton CBD, an approximate 5km, 9-minute trip, will cost $13.

The same price will be charged for a trip between Hamilton Gardens and the CBD, an approximate 4km, 6-minute trip.

A longer ride from The Base to University of Waikato, an approximate 13km, 20-minute ride, will cost $34.

The minimum fare for a trip in Hamilton will be $6.45.

As happens in Wellington and Christchurch, fares will be presented to customers up front. An algorithm calculates the time of a ride, multiplies it by the distance to travel and adds this to the base fare.

Uber takes a 25 per cent cut from all rides.

Menzies said surge pricing would not be implemented at first, but may be in place in time for the sevens.

The surge-pricing model ramps up the cost of rides during busy periods, an incentive for more drivers to get on the road and meet demand.

‘‘We typically collect some data in the first few weeks of running a market before turning surge pricing on.

‘‘So we will be definitely introducing surge to Hamilton . . . but we will be looking at that over the coming weeks.’’

Customers will be able to take an Uber to Hamilton Airport.

While Uber is in discussions with the airport, pick-ups from the airport were yet to come.

Menzies said there is strong interest in the Hamilton market, citing 120,000 people from 74 countries opening the app within the city in recent years.

To use Uber, you must have a smartphone and download the app and create profile. Information such as name, phone number, email address and debit or credit card must be entered.

The app then uses the GPS function of the phone to identify your location and, at the press of a button, sends a driver in your direction.

On the app’s map, the customer can see the driver’s location, name, car model and licence plate. A notification is received when the driver arrives, and the driver may call the customer.

All transactions are done through the app, so no payment is required. Once the destination is reached both driver and customer leave a rating for each other, a system which is said to ensure good practice and behaviour.

If the customer has a bad experience, the driver can be rated against their professionalism, navigation, driving and car cleanliness and Uber can consider deactivating their driver account.

Uber is currently available in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. It will launch in Tauranga on February 1.