Taxi hailing firm Uber has introduced its latest product, uberPOA in Mombasa bringing into its platform the three-wheeled vehicles popularly known as Tuk tuks.
Loic Amado, the General Manager Uber East Africa, said his company is committed to providing solutions that fit the needs of riders and drivers across the cities.
“Tuk tuks are a popular mode of transport across Kenya, and we are determined to launch localised products such as uberPOA to meet local needs,” Mr Amado said.
uberPOA is currently only available within Mombasa Island (Town), Nyali, Mkomani, Kongowea, Kisauni, Bamburi and is priced with a base fare of Sh10, Sh15 per kilometre, and a minimum fare of Sh50.
Popular routes such as Posta to Nyali will cost at least Sh170, Posta to Bamburi (Sh280), Likoni ferry to Tudor from Sh270, Kongowea to City Mall from Sh130 and Bamburi to Pirates from Sh50. uberPOA, which means cool in Swahili, will be running alongside uberX but operate under the same “strict safety measures” applied across Uber.
Dar es Salaam was the first city in East Africa to operate uberPOa.
With the platform, riders will still be able to see all driver details, such as their name, photo, and license plate number and whether other users have had a good experience with the drivers.
“With uberPOA, riders will still receive the same seamless door-to-door Uber experience they are used to. We believe users will be excited to have another reliable and affordable option tailored to move through the traffic on short trips around town,” said Mr Amado.
All Uber driver-partners, whether using uberPOA or uberX, must go through screening and must submit a certificate of good conduct from the police.
Drivers will also need to submit their national identification, driver’s licence, NTSA vehicle inspection report and proof of PSV car insurance.
Uber will also use telematics technology in its app to monitor driving behaviour of driver-partners and encourage them to exercise caution as they drive with the Uber app.
“At Uber, we believe in choice for riders and driver-partners. Riders should be allowed more choice in the way they move around their cities, and driver-partners should have more choice in how they make a living,” he said.
“ In the spirit of building globally and living locally, uberPOA is another product that resonates with local riders in Mombasa.”
There are more than 10,000 tuk tuks registered in Mombasa.
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