Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

'Quxsi' Wants to Save You Money During Uber Surge Charges

By Mauricio Peña | November 27, 2014 7:03am | Updated on December 1, 2014 8:38am
 New mobile app Quxsi helps compare UberX and taxi prices during active surge periods.
New mobile app Quxsi helps compare UberX and taxi prices during active surge periods.
View Full Caption
Engaged Interactive

CHICAGO — Nothing can ruin a commute like an Uber surge charge. For those who detest the price hikes, a free new mobile app is trying to provide UberX users more transparency in pricing.

Engaged Interactive, a Chicago-based company, launched Quxsi last month in Chicago and other cities to help commuters determine the most cost-effective commute when surge pricing is in place.

"We wanted to answer the question: Is it cheaper to take a cab or UberX?" said Adam Janikis, founder and president of Engaged Interactive. "The goal of the app was to make it easier for people using UberX to find that information out quickly."

Quxsi allows users to calculate the price upfront by using a surge charge multiplier to determine fare costs.

For UberX users, this app could not have better timing.

On Nov. 18, morning commuters were faced with Uber surge pricing five times their normal rate. The demand for Uber was high after a bus caught fire on Lake Shore Drive. In an unrelated incident, a former elementary school being redeveloped into condos caught fire, halting Brown and Purple Line trains during the morning rush hour. 

The iPhone-supported app suggests taxi companies when surge charges take place.

"It's a simple app and gives you much needed transparency," Janikis said.

The app's creators plans to expand to other cities.

For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here: