Rising fuel prices are hurting taxi drivers and those offering ride-sharing services.
Photo: RNZ / Yiting Lin
Chinese ridesharing giant DiDi is introducing a fuel surcharge to help drivers offset rising operating costs.
RNZ has reported that some ride-sharing drivers are paying as much as $100 extra a week for petrol just to remain on the road.
DiDi said a fuel surcharge of 5 cents per kilometre would be charged to passengers and passed on in full to drivers without any service fee deductions.
The surcharge will apply to every trip in Auckland and Wellington from 25 March.
DiDi also pledged to provide eligible drivers with a financial bonus of up to $40 in the week before the surcharge comes into effect as fuel prices continued to climb across New Zealand.
Petrol stations around the country are seeing increased demand as motorists fill up amid fears the Middle East conflict could drive prices higher and disrupt supply.
On Waiheke Island, petrol prices have climbed ahead of much of the rest of the country, nearing $4 a litre.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis said as of Sunday, New Zealand had 41.3 days worth of petrol, 47 days of diesel and 49 days of jet fuel, but the government was preparing for the “worst-case scenario” from a prolonged conflict.
Dan Jordan, DiDi’s head of external affairs for Australia and New Zealand, said rising fuel costs were directly affecting drivers’ earnings.
“Supporting our driver community remains a priority,” he said.
“We continue to review our pricing structure and service fees with the goal of improving driver earning opportunities, and we hope that these latest initiatives ensure New Zealand rideshare drivers receive additional support during a period of higher operating costs.”
Several ride-sharing companies said they were also keeping a close watch on the situation.
An Uber spokesperson said the company recognised that recent increases in fuel prices were having an effect across a range of industries, including drivers who used the Uber app to earn income.
The spokesperson said Uber was actively monitoring conditions and regularly reviewed ways to support drivers as circumstances changed, including through discounts on fuel as well as other savings aimed at reducing expenses.
Asked whether Uber was considering a similar passenger surcharge, the spokesperson said the company had nothing further to add at this stage.
A spokesperson for Bolt said the company was also closely monitoring the impact of rising fuel prices.
“We are currently assessing our pricing and driver earnings in New Zealand,” the spokesperson said. “We are preparing to introduce targeted measures to help drivers manage the short-term cost pressures.”
The spokesperson said the company’s priority was to maintain a balance between driver costs and rider pricing, ensuring the platform remained fair and sustainable for all parties.