By LILIAN OCHIENG
A Chinese mobile phone user looks at a logo of taxi-hailing app Uber on his smartphone in Shaoyang city, central China’s Hunan province, on March 19, 2015. After starting to accept cash payments in June, Uber has seen its growth triple in Nairobi.
American taxi service Uber has tripled its market growth in Nairobi, as it officially started accepting cash payments since its entry in January.
The taxi company has experienced growth from just 30 cars registered in Nairobi, to three times the number.
According to Alon Lits, Uber regional general manager for sub Saharan Africa, the company has received positive feedback from its riders during a cash payment pilot programme that began in June.
“Drivers using the Uber platform are taking more trips so taking more money home too. We now want everyone to enjoy the hassle-free convenience of ordering a safe ride at the push of a button. This is why we have adapted our technology to best meet the needs of the local consumers,” said Mr Lits.
EASY TAXI
Users get a taxi by using a downloaded application that gives them a ride on demand depending on their direction. Customers in Nairobi have now warmed up to the cash payment option with more opting to use Uber as their preferred Taxi service.
The firm says Nairobi is now Uber’s fastest growing places internationally.
In Kenya, Uber competes with Easy Taxi, which had over 5,000 taxis in Nairobi and its environs by March 2015. It has grown steadily and is one of the most recognisable taxi companies in the streets of Nairobi.
Easy Taxi grew fast over rival Uber because it accepted cash payments as it entered Kenya. Uber has just started accepting cash payments.
Initially, Uber was using cashless payments such as debit and credit cards. Easy Taxi also launched its own debit and credit card payments service called Easy Taxi Pay to tap into the high-end market users.
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