Uber to sign Suzuki Chap Chap cars deal

Ride-hailing company Uber and automaker Suzuki Motor Corporation are expected to sign a deal that will see the tech firm expand its budget taxi-hailing service Uber Chap Chap across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Uber is set to sign the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Suzuki on October 31. The California-based firm will roll out the service first in East Africa before moving to other regions of the continent.

The Uber Chap Chap service exclusively uses the fuel-efficient 800cc Suzuki Alto with a consumption rate of 25 kilometres per litre. A ride on the Suzuki Alto starts at Sh16 per kilometre, Sh4 per minute with a minimum fare of Sh100.

“Africa is a priority market for both Uber and Suzuki, and this agreement will allow the companies to expand the Uber Chap Chap option across sub-Saharan Africa to allow for thousands more economic opportunities for driver-partners and more choice for riders when it comes to affordable transportation options across SSA,” said Uber regarding the soon-to-be signed deal.

Taxify, Uber’s main competitor in Kenya, in April also launched TaxifyGO, a service that saw the cost of the minimum fare for regular cabs slashed to Sh100. TaxifyGO service is priced at Sh22 a kilometre, Sh3 per minute in addition to a base fare of Sh75.

The service uses vehicles with 1300cc engines that are also known for fuel efficiency.

Uber last week introduced new security features on its app that allow riders and drivers direct access to emergency response services, adding to a raft of measures it put in place recently to boost safety.
The new measures are set to be rolled out over the next few weeks to its app users in Africa including Kenya, Middle East and Europe.

The new features on the safety kit include backup contacts that will enable riders to save up to five contacts whom they can share trip information with. It will also include an emergency button to trigger private security response from the firm’s third-party responders.