Taxi-hailing firm Uber has introduced upfront fares in Kenya allowing riders to budget and pay for trips beforehand.

Uber now allows local riders to know the exact fare of a trip before the beginning of a journey by entering pick-up and drop-off locations.

The upfront fares, Uber says, will be calculated using the trip’s expected time, distance and take into consideration the traffic situation and availability of drivers at the time of request. Surge pricing, when demand for taxis grows, will be factored in the upfront fares.

Pewin taxi was the only e-hailing firm in Kenya that had a function allowing riders to know the exact fare at the beginning of the journey. Pewin Cabs’ Dandia e-hailing application launched in October has specific charges between destinations.

Dandia’s zonal pricing model ensures predictability allowing people to stick to their budgets. Mondo Ride, Little and Taxify only indicate a price estimate at the beginning of a trip.

“At Uber, we always try to give our riders the most seamless riding experience possible, from the moment they request for a ride to the time they are dropped-off at their destination… All riders, especially cash riders, will now be able to see upfront fares to ensure they have enough cash in-hand to pay for the trip,” said Uber in a statement.

Riders making multiple stops during the trip or in case of destination change pricing will go back to per kilometre and minute. Upfront fares will not be applicable to scheduled rides too.

Fare will also be recalculated where a journey takes longer than originally quoted due to high traffic or a detour caused by construction works.

The feature comes at a time when Uber is rolling out a new application in Kenya in a bid to improve customer experience.