Hurricane Matthew is making its way to Miami. The streets will be flooded, traffic will be crazy, and it’s going to be awfully hard to get around — especially if you don’t have a car.
Luckily there are apps for that. For getting around, Lyft and Uber have your back. And if you’re not tryna leave your house, Postmates can get products straight to your doorstep.
Here’s what Lyft, Uber, and Postmates have got planned for storm prep.
Uber:
There aren’t any plans to waive fees for emergency travel at this point, but Uber in Miami says it plans to keep communicating with authorities and and will provide assistance if it’s needed. They’re capping surge pricing at two times the base rate. (They previously caught flack for surge pricing during Hurricane Sandy, costing the company more than $100,000.)
No specifics on when they’re going to tell drivers to get off the roads, but Uber says they’re encouraging riders and drivers to pay attention to instructions from the National Hurricane Center and obey road closures.
The app will remain live during the storm, according to Javi Correoso, Uber’s local spokesman.
Lyft
Lyft didn’t offer any specifics on waving fees for emergencies or disclose if the company will cap surge pricing, which they call Prime Time, during the storm.
“We aim to get our passengers reliably and safely where they need to be, and will be keeping a close eye on the hurricane. We’ll also be staying in touch with drivers on storm conditions,” Lyft spokeswoman Mary Caroline Pruitt wrote in an e-mail.
Postmates:
“In the past we’ve shut down markets like in New York last year during the flood. Rain and bad weather is usually big businesses for us, but we have to be mindful. We never want to incentivize people to work out there in dangerous conditions,” said Shian Vidanage, spokesman for Postmates.
Postmates doesn’t usually charge blitz pricing (which is like surge pricing for Uber or Lyft) in Miami but they will likely have some during the storm. They’ll be in constant contact with drivers and if it’s safe to be outside, the app will be live.