> The drivers have to figure out how much the journey will cost which keeps down the server interaction/processing required per customer.
I don't think this makes sense. This seems like something difficult for people to figure out and easy for computers. I would think the cost of doing that calculation is pennies at most.
I would actually lean into the server processing. Have the drivers enter in their make/model, and a basic pricing algorithm (e.g. 10% over cost, or cost + $5 + 10%, or just $x/mile). The cost should preferably be "all in", including stuff like oil changes, wear and tear, depreciation, etc. When a customer requests a ride, they get automatic quotes from nearby drivers.
> The drivers have to figure out how much the journey will cost which keeps down the server interaction/processing required per customer.
This seems like an issue. If drivers don't have uniform pricing then they aren't fungible. As a user, if different drivers have different pricing, I expect to be able to be pick which driver and price I want. This seems at odds with drivers, who won't want to manually make quotes just to get turned down repeatedly.
Like I said before, I don't think that server processing is a significant cost. I would expect that these kinds of rough cost calculations could be done locally on the phone.