--- description: The company has now backtracked after customer outcry title: Uber Introduces Surge Pricing During Sydney Hostage Siege image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Australia](/tag/australia/) ## Australia Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Uber Charged 4 Times Its Usual Rate During Sydney Hostage Siege  by [Naina Bajekal](/author/naina-bajekal/)  ## Naina Bajekal Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Bajekal was executive editor and international editor at TIME. Dec 15, 2014 12:11 PM CUT  by [Naina Bajekal](/author/naina-bajekal/)  ## Naina Bajekal Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Bajekal was executive editor and international editor at TIME. Dec 15, 2014 12:11 PM CUT Uber faced a [new controversy Monday](http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d160bcdc-8429-11e4-8cc5-00144feabdc0.html?siteedition=uk#axzz3Lxf6XMYL "undefined") when it began charging customers four times the usual rate after a gunman took several hostages in downtown Sydney, Australia. Uber apps told customers they must pay a minimum of A$100 ($82) per ride. Uber made the following statement on Twitter: > [](https://twitter.com/Uber%5FSydney/status/544319760809222144) Following an outcry on social media, Uber Sydney changed tack and is currently offering free rides for passengers trying to leave the city “to help Sydneysiders get home safely.” The company [said in a statement](http://blog.uber.com/sydneysiege "undefined") that it will refund fares charged for earlier journeys. \[[_Financial Times_](http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d160bcdc-8429-11e4-8cc5-00144feabdc0.html?siteedition=uk#axzz3Lxf6XMYL "undefined")\] **MORE:** [Central Sydney is in lockdown amid a developing hostage crisis](http://time.com/3633230/terrorist-acts-against-australians-martin-place/ "undefined") ### See Uber Protests From Around the World  French Taxi drivers burn tires as they protest in the southern city of Marseille on June 25, 2015 as they demonstrate against UberPOP, a popular taxi app that is facing fierce opposition from traditional cabs. Anne-Christine Poujoulat—AFP/Getty Images  Police officers in riot gear attempt to flip a car back onto it's wheels at Porte Maillot on June 25, 2015 in Paris. Protesters blocked roads to airports and train stations, overturning cars and setting tires on fire. Guillaume de Senneville—Demotix/Corbis  Hundreds of taxi drivers gather next to the Olympia Stadium to protest ride-sharing apps on June 11, 2014 in Berlin. Sean Gallup—Getty Images  A demonstrator kicks a car, suspected of being a private taxi during a 24 hour taxi strike and protest in Madrid on June 11, 2014. Paul White—AP  A taxi driver listens to speeches by his colleagues, during an Europe-wide protest of licensed taxi drivers against taxi hailing apps that are feared to flush unregulated private drivers into the market, in front of the Olympic stadium in Berlin on June 11, 2014. Thomas Peter—Reuters  Taxi drivers hold a banner during a protest in Barcelona on June 11, 2014. Josep Lago—AFP/Getty Images  London taxi's line up on The Mall during a protest against a new smart phone app, 'Uber' on June 11, 2014 in London. Dan Kitwood—Getty Images  Taxi drivers park their cars and honk the horn in protest on Pennsylvania Avenue, bringing street traffic to a stop as they demand an end to ride sharing services such as Uber X and Lyft on June 25, 2014, in Washington. PAUL J. RICHARDS—AFP/Getty Images  An Italian taxi driver distributes leaflets reading "Don't take an illegal taxi, take a white regular taxi" during a protest on June 11, 2014 in Rome. ANDREAS SOLARO—AFP/Getty Images  Taxis drivers block a highway outside Paris, near Roissy on June 11, 2014, as they take part in a demonstration to protest the growing number of minicabs, known in France as Voitures de Tourisme avec Chauffeurs (VTC). 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