Taxi hailing firm Uber has announced the launch of a bodaboda service in Nairobi, dubbed “uberBODA”, that will allow riders to hail a boda-boda using the Uber app.
UberBODA driver-partners will be required to attend a screening process and an information session which will include education on the Uber app as well as road safety tips.
Under the service, riders will be able to use uberBODA in all environs of Nairobi except the Central Business District (CBD) where boda-boda operations were recently banned by the county government.
Uber Vice President for Europe, Middle East and Africa, Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, who is in Nairobi, said the ride-sharing global company is keen on building technology that meets the needs of the local market.
“With uberBODA, we provide the same seamless door to door Uber experience passengers are used to with Uber, but on the back of a Boda-Boda—an easy, affordable option tailored to move through the traffic on short trips around town,” said Vice President for Uber in Europe Middle East and Africa Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty.
To use the new service, passengers simply need to open the Uber app and select uberBODA. Customers will be charged a base fare of Sh55, minimum fare of Sh60 and Sh14 per kilometre.
Both the drivers and passengers will be given with a reflective jacket and a helmet.
“Passengers will still be able to see all their driver-partners details, such as their name, photo, and license plate number. Passengers can also see whether others have had a good experience with the uberBODA driver and they will be able to contact each other via the app if there is any confusion around pick-up details,” adds Gore-Coty.
Passengers and drivers will also benefit from Injury Protection provided by UAP-Old Mutual to ensure they have more peace of mind when using uberBODA.
UberBODA will compete with Uganda-based SafeBoda which launched in Kenya in August and Taxify which unveiled its Boda service in March 2018.