It’s traditionally the biggest party weekend of the year, as Christmas revellers all over the country hit the town.
But some have been waking up with more than just a hangover, as Uber users have complained about having to pay significantly more than usual in order to get home.
A host of social media users have taken to Twitter to criticise the surge pricing on the taxi app as the Christmas party season reached its peak.
In fact, one claimed he had seen rates as high as 12 times the usual amount in Camden on Saturday.
However, Uber has since denied that the surge pricing reached this level.
A spokesperson for the company said that the maximum surge charge in the area at the time the tweet was sent was twice the usual rate.
The app uses ‘dynamic pricing’, which causes fares to temporarily increase when demand is high and ‘encourages more drivers to get on the road’.
Uber users are notified on the app when surge pricing is in place. However, dozens of social media users have complained about the cost of their journeys over the festive period.
One wrote: ‘Thanks for the 4.5x surge last night @Uber. my journey cost nearly £100 more than usual’.
Another added: ‘Central London is carnage. Biggest Uber charge I’ve ever seen. God bless the humble bus.’
Meanwhile, one person quipped: ’tis the season for holdiay cheer and uber surge pricing’.
However, one Twitter user defended the increased fares, writing: ‘[P}ricing is a fair way of getting more availability of by weeding out the stingy people and getting more to the area.
‘[I don’t know] what you’re complaining about.’
Responding to the complaints, an Uber spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘As our riders know the Uber app uses dynamic pricing which means that fares automatically increase when the demand for cars in a specific area is greater than the cars available.
‘The higher fare encourages more drivers to come into the area so there are more cars for people who want one. Users always see a fare estimate in advance so they have the choice to book a car, share the trip with others or wait until fares decrease.’
It comes just months after the company was stripped of its permit in the capital by Transport for London which claimed the global taxi app was not ‘fit and proper’.
Uber is currently appealing the decision and is allowed to continue operating in the city in the meantime.
Earlier this year, Uber drivers were accused of secretly logging out of the app in order to make prices soar.
A spokesperson for the company said at the time: ‘This behaviour is neither widespread nor permissible on the Uber app, and we have a number of technical safeguards in place to prevent it from happening.’
