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Would you haggle with your rideshare driver for a better deal?

Emily Anderson
Updated April 4 2024 - 9:37am, first published 8:00am
Didi rideshare driver parked near Newcastle's Nobbys Beach. Picture Marina Neil
Didi rideshare driver parked near Newcastle's Nobbys Beach. Picture Marina Neil

Rideshare users could now haggle for a lower fare price through a new feature available only in regional cities.

Transportation app DiDi launched the price negotiation feature in a bid to have more regional Australians using rideshare.

The feature, DiDi Negotiate, allows riders to bargain with drivers up to 10 per cent of a ride's fare.

DiDi's Dan Jordan said the function was a strategy to increase usage in areas rideshare apps had lower uptake.

WATCH: In a world-first class action settlement, Uber agreed to pay $272 million to taxi drivers and operators who lost income and licence values when Uber came to Australia.

"The adoption of rideshare isn't as big in regional areas, because driving your own car and other forms of transport are very convenient," Mr Jordan said.

"With DiDi Negotiate we are aiming to give more power to riders, for them to be able to determine a fee that suits them, hopefully to have more people using rideshare."

He believes the feature will be beneficial for rideshare drivers by increasing demand for services in the long term.

"It brings more troops, and earning opportunities for the drivers," he said.

"So while one individual fee may be less, the overall income hopefully increases due to more trips."

Users can negotiate a reduced fare price with their DiDi driver in regional cities.
Users can negotiate a reduced fare price with their DiDi driver in regional cities.

Fare reduction has also been offset by a reduction in service fees for the drivers.

Rideshare companies like DiDi take a service fee from every fare, meaning drivers receive a portion of the total paid by the rider.

This fee has been reduced from 18 per cent to 10 per cent for DiDi Negotiate drivers.

"The driver takes home 90 per cent of the fare," Mr Jordan said.

DiDi Negotiate is available in Ballarat, Bendigo, Bunbury, Bundaberg, Busselton, Cairns, Canberra, Central Coast, Coffs Harbour, Geelong, Gladstone, Hervey Bay, Mackay, Newcastle, Port Macquarie, Rockhampton, Shepparton/Mooroopna, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Townsville, Wagga Wagga and Wollongong.

The Chinese company launched in Australia in 2018 and is the country's second largest rideshare app.

Competitor Uber holds up to 80 per cent of the transportation app market share

Emily Anderson

Emily is a reporter for The Daily Advertiser, based in Wagga. She loves keeping people in the loop about what's going on around them, and getting to the bottom of a good story. Got a lead - big or small? Flick an email to emily.anderson@austcommunitymedia.com.au Follow on insta @emilywyanderson