Choose your own price: New Uber rival inDrive is coming

This global ride-sharing service lets passengers set their own prices, rather than relying on mysterious algorithms or surge pricing.

inDrive country manager Mike Chauhan.

Fee hikes and unreasonable surcharges may soon become a thing of the past as a new ride-share service prepares to enter the Australian market complete with a fare negotiation model.

Russia-founded inDrive will launch its ride-hailing service in Brisbane in March followed by an expansion in to several Australian capital cities with business a model it argues is too fair to refuse.

InDrive’s business model works around a negotiation system in which riders present a bid for their route directly to a driver, who can accept or respond with another offer. The company says it is the world’s fastest-growing ride-sharing service, and that unlike its competitors, offers fair compensation to drivers while helping customers avoid surge pricing.

The company is launching in Australia across the east coast, first arriving in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney and then expanding to Perth and Adelaide.

It operates in 600 cities across 39 countries, and recently passed 100 million app downloads in Google’s Play Store.

Country manager Mike Chauhan said inDrive’s fare model would prove superior on days when transport services were down due to shutdowns or other issues.

New ride-hailing service inDrive aims to disrupt the industry with negotiable fares.

“With inDrive we remove the algorithm altogether and in scenarios such as the recent NSW transport strike, a lot of riders would be receiving a reasonable fare,” he said.

Mr Chauhan said the local ride-hailing market had become unaffordable for many.

“Ridehailing is becoming unaffordable and a lot of people are being left stranded during peak hour times due to the prices being so expensive. We’re here to remove that inequality.

“It’s the transparent, honest system which Australia has been waiting for.”

The company closed a $US150m investment round last year, valuing it at $US1.23bn, and says its current valuation is much higher.

InDrive is now looking to spur drivers to their system with a no commission offering for the first six months.

“InDrive does not increase prices based on high demand or weather, ensuring riders and drivers can always nominate their own price,” Mr Chauhan said.

“This, combined with the lower commissions inDrive draws from each transaction, will ensure more affordable, consistent and transparent pricing.”