Melbourne Cup racegoers are being warned not to spend over the odds on transport to and from Flemington Racecourse, after price surges of up to 88% on trips were recorded during Derby Day this weekend.
The culmination of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, follows two disruptive years that severely limited crowd attendance at major sporting events across the calendar. This year, spirits are high as the Melbourne Cup prepares to welcome back racegoers at full capacity.
Placie, the app where users can compare and book from Australia's largest network of ride services in one place*, is urging consumers caution in anticipation of surges in demand for and prices of rideshare and taxi services.
In recent years, spectator attendance at Flemington Racecourse has exceeded 100,000 people. This year is expected to be no different, and if recorded crowd numbers from recent sporting events are anything to go by, attendance tomorrow is likely to break records.
To understand what this could mean for racegoers, Placie has analysed aggregate data collected via the app across a series of major spectator events this year.
"There are a huge number of factors that define rideshare pricing. Commonly, big events and bad weather will drive up demand and therefore costs for consumers," says Candace Ngok, Head of Growth at Placie.
"Our data from this Saturday's Victoria Derby reveals on average rideshare prices went up by 88%, rising to a peak of 119% during the busiest period. However, it's important to note that some providers were above average, while others saw no price surging at all. Historically, we know that the providers offering the best prices can change minute-to-minute, so it's always best to make real-time comparisons when you need to travel.
"We expect similar, if not greater, price variation for the Melbourne Cup, so savvy racegoers should check their options before booking their travel to the race ground to find the right options for them" added Candace Ngok.
With a comprehensive network of cars and drivers nationwide, Placie exists to give consumers greater visibility and a fairer choice of rideshare and taxi options. On the app, users get to choose their preferred mode of transport, provider and price, across rideshare services, taxis and even limos.
Placie data from Derby Derby also tracked an 94% increase in booking requests to Flemington Racecourse and surrounding suburbs coming through the app, when compared to normal weekend demand. Last month, the ICC T20 Cricket World Cup saw an equally dramatic uptick with requests shortly after 11pm compared to a normal Sunday late evening.
"Rideshare prices, (taxi and rideshare) driver availability and journey times can change rapidly throughout the day, so the best advice for racegoers is to know your options and check them in real time," added Candace Ngok.
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