Uber Technologies Inc. said on Friday U.S. customers, excluding New York City, will have to pay a fuel surcharge from March 16 as the ride-hailing firm tries to address concerns of drivers and couriers hit by record high gasoline prices.

Customers will have to pay a surcharge fee of either 45 cents or 55 cents on each Uber trip and 35 cents or 45 cents on each Uber Eats order, depending on their location. The money charged will go directly to the workers, Uber said.

The surcharge will last for at least 60 days after which it will make adjustments based on feedback from workers and customers.

The move comes as many Uber drivers have been protesting on social media over high gas costs that have been eating into their earnings even as the company raised its profitability outlook, with some asking if it was still worth getting behind the wheel. 

Oil prices settled higher on Friday but posted their steepest weekly decline since November.

Brent crude futures rose $3.34, or 3.1 percent, on Friday, settling at $112.67 a barrel, after hitting a session low of $107.13. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose $3.31, or 3.1 percent, to settle at $109.33 a barrel, off the session low of $104.48.