DEEP DIVE: How Uber drivers game surge pricing
According to Uber drivers, it's the "oldest trick in the book": gaming the system to charge you more. In some cases, it could mean you end up paying 2 or 3 times the normal cost of a trip. So how does the trick work? Well, triple j hack has been speaking to drivers about how they create artificial surge prices, leaving passengers out of pocket. And even more remarkably, the union representing them reckons the consequences for passengers are entirely on Uber itself, because drivers aren't being paid enough for their work. So is any of this fair? We chatted to a few drivers to get an inside look at the industry, as well as a CHOICE spokesperson to find out what this could mean for your next Uber ride. A version of this episode was first published in August 2025. Guest: Jarni Blakkarly, investigative journalist, CHOICE Get the whole story from Hack: Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to the hack podcast Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live at 5:30pm
An episode of the Hack podcast, hosted by Australian Broadcasting Corporation, titled "DEEP DIVE: How Uber drivers game surge pricing" was published on January 2, 2026 and runs 9 minutes.
January 2, 2026 ·9m · Hack
Summary
According to Uber drivers, it's the "oldest trick in the book": gaming the system to charge you more. In some cases, it could mean you end up paying 2 or 3 times the normal cost of a trip. So how does the trick work? Well, triple j hack has been speaking to drivers about how they create artificial surge prices, leaving passengers out of pocket. And even more remarkably, the union representing them reckons the consequences for passengers are entirely on Uber itself, because drivers aren't being paid enough for their work. So is any of this fair? We chatted to a few drivers to get an inside look at the industry, as well as a CHOICE spokesperson to find out what this could mean for your next Uber ride. A version of this episode was first published in August 2025. Guest: Jarni Blakkarly, investigative journalist, CHOICE Get the whole story from Hack: Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to the hack podcast Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live at 5:30pm
Episode Description
According to Uber drivers, it's the "oldest trick in the book": gaming the system to charge you more.
In some cases, it could mean you end up paying 2 or 3 times the normal cost of a trip.
So how does the trick work?
Well, triple j hack has been speaking to drivers about how they create artificial surge prices, leaving passengers out of pocket.
And even more remarkably, the union representing them reckons the consequences for passengers are entirely on Uber itself, because drivers aren't being paid enough for their work.
So is any of this fair?
We chatted to a few drivers to get an inside look at the industry, as well as a CHOICE spokesperson to find out what this could mean for your next Uber ride.
A version of this episode was first published in August 2025.
Guest:
- Jarni Blakkarly, investigative journalist, CHOICE
Get the whole story from Hack:
- Follow us on Instagram
- Subscribe to the hack podcast
- Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live at 5:30pm
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