Question

Uber has long been criticized for its use of surge pricing, setting prices based on current supply and demand factors, which, at times, results in a sudden and drastic increase in prices. In a Wall Street Journal article, the CEO of Uber was asked if we are seeing the end of surge pricing. His response: “. . . at the end of the day, Friday night is three or five times bigger than a Sunday night in any city around the world. And if you’ve got enough supply on the system so that we were perfectly supplied on a Friday night for as much demand as a city could ever throw at us, then the rest of the week you have drivers not making a living.”

a. Draw a demand and supply graph for Uber rides in Miami on a Sunday night. How does demand change on a Friday night? How does the supply of Uber rides change? Label the shortage of Uber cars that results on a Friday night without surge pricing.

b. Show what happens to consumer and producer surplus on a Friday night without surge pricing.

c. How does surge pricing change consumer and producer surplus?

Answer 1