BAKU, Azerbaijan - Taxi passengers in Baku say fares displayed when they place an order sometimes rise by the time they reach their destination, leaving riders to discover the higher price only at the end of a trip.
In one example reported by Vesti Baku, a passenger booked rides priced at 5 manats ($2.94) but was charged 8 manats ($4.71) on arrival on two separate occasions. She said the driver warned her that the fare could change. Other passengers said even a difference of several manats matters when they choose a ride based on a fixed budget.
Drivers said the platform calculates the final amount automatically and that congestion, travel time and other conditions can increase the charge. One driver said a trip initially estimated at about 30 minutes can stretch to an hour or more in heavy traffic, prompting the application to add to the fare.
Another driver said he sometimes sees the final amount only after ending the trip in the app, meaning the customer may not learn about the increase until the journey is over.
A transportation expert said fares can legitimately change because of traffic, weather or peak demand, but passengers should receive timely notice and be allowed to decide whether to accept the revised price, continue the trip or end it and pay for the distance already traveled. A lack of clear notice, the expert said, undermines confidence in app-based taxi services.
The taxi company said the price shown when an order is placed may be preliminary. It said the final fare can change if the destination or route is altered or if the trip takes longer because of congestion, roadwork or similar factors. The updated amount is displayed in the application, the company said.
The company added that promotional discounts are funded by the platform and do not reduce the amount paid to drivers under its fare calculation.
The passenger complaints and company response were also discussed in a video report.