Baltic Export, Estonia, Good for Business, Technology, Transport

International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Thursday, 28.03.2024, 17:31

Taxify adds tuk-tuks, motorcycle taxis to its platform in Africa

BC, Tallinn, 21.03.2018.Print version
Ride sharing firm Taxify has introduced a tuk-tuk and motorbike hailing service on the African market that works within its existing smartphone app being used by conventional passenger vehicles, informs LETA/BNS.

On Taxify's East African markets Uganda and Kenya clients can now hail a motorcycle with a driver, known locally as boda boda, whereas in Tanzania the available options include an auto rickshaw, or tuk-tuk. This makes Taxify the first global transport platform to have added these means of transport immensely popular with locals to its offering, Taxify said.


Rising use of motorcycle riders for public passenger transport is a reality in many countries of Africa, where traffic jams and clogged roads delay movement.


The auto rickshaws operating in Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania, are known locally as bajaji.


"At present there are hundreds of thousands of boda drivers in Nairobi alone for whom their job is vital. Also passengers who commute daily between the city centers and the suburbs rely on their favorably priced service. Today this is a very basic service both when it comes to oversight and security. With its experience, Taxify can support the development of this domain and make the service safer for the drivers and passengers alike," Taxify founder and manager Markus Villig said.


According to Taxify, boda drivers often operate illegally, ignoring rules and risking their owns lives and the lives of passengers. Taxify intends to make the service safer both by offering training to drivers and reinforcing safety requirements.


"Our addition to the market means that a seasoned operator enters the existing field who will help put things in order. Therefore we are working closely also with the local authorities," Villig said.


Taxify's starting fee in Nairobi is 30 Kenyan shillings or approximately 24 eurocents, and the price per kilometer 15 shillings or 12 eurocents.


Taxify estimates that the addition of new vehicle categories in Africa will bring millions of new rides to its platform.


Founded in 2013, Taxify has more than five million clients in over 20 countries globally.






Search site