LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Las Vegas will welcome thousands of visitors to another season of festivals, with Life is Beautiful kicking off in Downtown and the iHeart Radio Music festival tuning up at T-Mobile Arena this weekend.
Additionally, the Las Vegas Raiders are also drawing thousands of fans to Allegiant Stadium for their home opener game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
“It’s going to be a crazy, busy weekend,” said Torsten Kunert, also known as the "Rideshare Professor," who also owns a limousine service as well as fleets of vehicles operating under multiple rideshare services. “Veteran drivers know this weekend very well. Obviously, this is an impression on the riders visiting the city.”
Kunert says the busy weekend is projected to be a profitable one for rideshare drivers who are expecting a high demand for their services to each of the major music festivals and the NFL game. He’s encouraging his fellow drivers to turn on their phones and get on the road this weekend and not be discouraged by the recent local protests against Uber.
“If they do a repeat like they did on the Beyonce concert, I can fully understand that there won’t be any drivers on Saturday and Sunday,” Kunert said.
In August, Beyonce performed at Allegiant Stadium as part of her Renaissance World Tour. That same weekend,Tropical Storm Hilary hit Las Vegas, leading Nevada’s governor to declare a State of Emergency.
The action forced Uber to pause surge pricing, a practice that increases the cost of rides during periods of high demand, putting more money in driver's pockets. The pause led to Uber drivers protesting outside of Las Vegas Uber offices and at Harry Reid International Airport.
Kunert believes their protests exposed weaknesses within Uber’s policies and will ultimately lead Uber and Lyft to correct their business models to keep their drivers incentivized.
In some states, Uber informs riders of a surge in fares to and from locations where there are high-profile events. For example, in Wisconsin, riders knew they’d pay a $10 surge to the Taylor Swift concert.
Riders can avoid surges during peak times by ordering rides in advance. On Uber Reserve, once a rider books a trip, he or she is locked in with that fare. Drivers suggest riders schedule advanced pickups two to three hours before their event begins.
