Uber will now charge you for every minute your driver is kept waiting – and then invite you to stump up a tip fee too
![Uber app on phone](http://mcb777.site/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/nintchdbpict000308161425.jpg?w=620)
UBER passengers will now have to pay extra if they keep drivers waiting.
The taxi app has just rolled out a new update which will charge people if they don't get into their car within two minutes.
They will be charged 20 pence a minute, meaning a five minute delay could you a pound.
The update also introduces in-app tipping for the first time as well as stricter rules on cancelling a car request.
From Tuesday, an option to tip drivers will appear in the Uber smartphone app and will also apply to the firm's food delivery service, UberEATS.
The firm's UK regional general manager Jo Bertram said the decision to introduce tipping had come after consultation with the firm's drivers.
The Uber waiting charge will come into force on August 22.
Ms Bertram said: "Drivers' time is valuable and every minute spent waiting for a rider means less time driving and making money.
"That's why - from two minutes after the driver arrives at the pick-up point - riders will pay 20p for every further minute they keep their driver waiting."
The charge may be higher than 20p a minute for users of the more premium XL, EXEC and LUX Uber car services, the company said.
Uber has also cut the cancellation time window for users, with those who have been allocated a car now eligible to pay a fee for cancelling a journey request after just two minutes, down from five minutes currently.
"Following feedback we feel this is too long as drivers are well on their way to the pick-up point and have already invested time and fuel," Ms Bertram said.
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"That's why we're reducing the rider cancellation time so if a rider cancels two minutes after being allocated a car they will now pay the cancellation fee - though this won't apply if a driver is running five minutes behind the original ETA."
Uber has previously come under scrutiny over the employment status of its drivers, with questions raised over whether they are self-employed or workers for the company.
A recent government report into workers' rights in the so-called 'gig economy' of which Uber is a part said a new "dependent contractor" category of worker should be created to better protect those working in the sector.
Uber said these latest changes showed it was listening to its drivers.
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"Over the last 12 months we've hosted hundreds of events and spoken to thousands of drivers on the phone, in the office and at roundtable discussions," Ms Bertram added.
"While drivers have told us they love the freedom of being their own boss, we've also clearly heard that we need to make improvements.
"As a direct result of this feedback we have already made a number of big changes. In February we announced a series of initiatives to help drivers make the most out of using the app and two months later we invested in discounted illness and injury cover with IPSE for drivers who want it."
The range of updates to the Uber app will also include a new 'No thanks' button for drivers to deny trip requests - which Uber says will also reduce waiting times for users as their journey requests will now be passed on to another driver faster.
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