An official from Uber publicly apologized during a City Council hearing on Wednesday, admitting that the rideshare company mistakenly overcharged customers nearly $1.8 million due to an error in applying city congestion fees.
Uber spokesman Josh Gold acknowledged the mistake while speaking before the Committee on License and Consumer Protection.
“This was an error, and we acknowledge the error was on our end,” Gold stated.
To prevent similar issues in the future, Gold added, Uber has taken measures to enhance its internal review processes, improve communication across teams and implement real-time alerts for discrepancies.
The issue stemmed from Uber overcharging the Downtown congestion fee of $1.50 per ride outside the designated hours of 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The downtown congestion fee was expanded this year as part of a city initiative designed to alleviate traffic congestion and raise additional revenue.
At the hearing, it was revealed that Uber had refunded a total of $1.78 million to riders who were incorrectly charged the congestion fee from January to April. Gold mentioned that approximately $1.3 million of this amount was retained by the city while the finance department was validating the refunds to ensure that Uber would be reimbursed accordingly.
image source from：https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/06/12/uber-apologizes-for-1-8-million-in-errant-congestion-fee-charges-as-city-vows-to-pay-back-the-funds/
