UberX raises prices by $1 per ride with new safety fee

UberX rides just became $1 more expensive.

San Francisco ride-sharing company Uber announced Friday that it has begun charging customers a $1 “Safe Rides Fee” on every ride taken through its UberX service.

Uber offers a number of ride options, but UberX is its least expensive. UberX rides are conducted by nonprofessional drivers using their own vehicles who have been vetted by Uber through background checks and vehicle inspections.

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“This fee supports the increased costs associated with our continued efforts to ensure the safest platform for Uber riders and drivers,” Uber said Friday in a blog.

Uber isn’t the only ride-sharing company to introduce this kind of fee. Main rival Lyft also charges users a $1 “Trust & Safety fee” for the same purposes.

But Uber’s decision to introduce its Safe Rides Fee could not come at a worse time for the company. Earlier this month, Lyft announced that it was lowering prices in all of its markets by as much as 20%.

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