Uber introduces surge pricing in downtown Sydney during hostage siege

Uber is reportedly charging its users in downtown Sydney a minimum $100, a result of surge pricing introduced in the midst of an armed hostage crisis, Mashable has learned.

A financial executive in the city's Central Business District (CBD) sent Mashable screenshots of the Uber app that show the company is charging up to four-times the normal rate because "demand is off the charts."

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The crisis reportedly involves at least one hostage taker and about 13 hostages, all being held at a cafe in downtown Sydney, Australia. At present, little is known about the assailant, other than the fact that an Islamic flag was shown in the cafe window, leading some to suspect that the incident may be a terrorist attack. Police have evacuated most of the area. Read more...

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