Tube strike: Uber prices surge by 300 per cent as London commuters face travel chaos

Company operates on a 'price surge' system - meaning when demand is high, fares can spiral

(Getty Images)

Uber fares have soared as Londoners face travel chaos amid Underground strike action.

Tens of thousands of London Underground workers walked out from 6.30pm on Wednesday over a dispute with Transport for London regarding the new 24-hour Tube services, which are due to start from September this year,

Read all the latest updates on the Tube strike here

Across the capital thousands of commuters attempted to get an Uber – but found that they faced as much as 2.9 times the minimum fare.

Uber works on a system of ‘surge pricing’ – meaning that when demand is high prices can climb to dizzying heights.

The company has insisted in the past that this system ensures that cars arrive even during the busiest periods.

During the Tube strikes last year, Uber reported a four-fold surge in demand for cars in comparison to a normal weekday. Yesterday, the company also sent an email to subscribers of the app encouraging people to share cabs and reduce their fares.

Even if commuters are prepared to pay for the surge, photographs and tweets on social media show that much of central London and the main routes into the city have already become deadlocked.