Uber Technologies will cap surge pricing in the Washington area at 3.9 times base fares during the shutdown of the Metro system on Wednesday.
It also said it will offer a $25 credit to new users towards a first ride during the shutdown.
Lyft said it would offer new users $20 off their first ride during the shutdown.
Hundreds of thousands of government workers, tourists and business travelers could face a chaotic commute in the Washington, D.C., area on Wednesday when the second-busiest U.S. Subway system will be shut down for emergency safety checks.
The estimated 700,000 people who ride the Washington-area Metro subway system every weekday, including about a third of the region’s federal workforce, will have to scramble to get to work and around town while 600 underground cables are inspected.
Transit officials in the U.S. Capital announced the unprecedented closure on Tuesday afternoon after a cable fire this week caused delays. The subway, which serves Washington and its Maryland and Virginia suburbs, is scheduled to reopen at 5 a.m. Eastern on Thursday.
The closure of the 119-mile subway system, which has been plagued by equipment breakdowns and fires, will allow safety officials to inspect the cables for worn-out casings, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority General Manager Paul Wiedefeld told a news conference.
