Riders on taxi-hailing platform Uber Kenya are set to enjoy a 25 percent discount should they opt to share a cab with fellow users going in the same direction under new options meant to raise income for drivers.
Uber said yesterday that riders opting to use the new product, dubbed ChapChap Share will get an automatic five percent discount on the normal fare – currently the lowest-priced and most preferred – even if they are not matched to share the ride with a fellow user.
They will, however, see this discount bumped up to 25 percent should they get matched with another rider on the same trip to share the cab.
The product has been designed for the city’s busiest commuting periods and will be available from 5am to 6pm.
“We have seen a number of people traveling at the same direction roughly at the same time. ChapChap Share allows you to tap into further savings by sharing your ride with somebody who is going along the same path as you,” said Imran Manji, Uber Head of East Africa
“There will be a small detour to pick or drop the other user…but for a small increase in time taken to get to your destination, you can enjoy the discounts on the fare.”
The product targets to reduce costs for riders while pulling them into the app, and increase demand for drivers following a drop in the number of trips ordered in a month over biting cost of living and declining disposable income.
The US-based firm has expressed fears of a mismatch in the demand of rides and the supply of drivers on the high inflation and fuel price as trip orders are yet to fully recover to pre-Covid levels, despite the high number of drivers on the platform.
It places Nairobi among the top three markets in Africa out of the 61 cities in seven countries it has operations. The firm now hopes the ride-share option will incentivise riders in a market where people are not used to taking rides to work.
It will also launch Uber XL on September 19, a feature targeting large groups to travel together of up to six people set to utilise large capacity vehicles.
