Uber Taxi Nigeria

Über and Taxiify in Lagos, Nigeria fight for carpooling opportunities - Quartz Africa

Only a year ago, Uber explained that Lagos was potentially larger than its London counterpart, as was the unrestrained pent-up need for comfort and convenience in the rapidly expanding centre classes of the city. However, in recent months the story has taken a completely different turn, as its urge to gain as many clients as possible in the face of fiercer rivalry has resulted in serious disputes with its riders.

Difficulties and quarrels that have been slowly gathering for a long time indicate the difficulties of transferring the Uber scheme to a murderous and challenging environment such as Lagos. Uber's Lagos riders went on strikes last week, shortly after the carpooling boom had reduced ticket prices by 40%. Über reasoned that the ticket discount "should reach more folks who want more trips", but the riders say that they are overlooked by the comany.

Of course, the dispute about the distribution of income with the riders is not only possible in Uber Lagos. In most cases, Uber seems to continue to get away with such driving problems. And in Kenya she even got the backing of the Kenyan authorities against the Nairobi team. A Lagos rider who talked to Quartz says that Uber's reluctance to cut his fee even if he lowers tariffs for clients has resulted in some riders finding ways to earn within the Uber eco-system.

"Several of my fellow drivers are asking my fellow travellers to allow them to travel off-line so that it looks as if the journey has been canceled and no provision is made for the amount of money the rider would be paid in cash," the rider who asked not to be ID'd states.

It is a threat to this practise that it opens riders to the added risks of some of Lagos' criminals. April saw the assassination of an over-driver after making a personal agreement with a client who was part of a band of gunmen. Locals over-drivers say they were horrified by what they felt was the company's attempt to dissociate itself from the responsibilities associated with the assassination case.

This supported their choice to go on strikes, some riders say. They are now calling for better security roadmaps, as well as better driving verifications. However, their key feature is that they want Ueber to let the 40% increase fall and cut his fee from 25% to 10%. Driving problems come just like an e-hailing app Taxify established by Estonia, which has been extended to Nigeria.

Although Lagos has well over a decade of mostly self-developed e-hailing applications, only a few over the three years since its introduction in Lagos have been able to offer reasonable competitive advantage for any length of use. Possibly the timings were just better than those of other competitors who arrived in Lagos at a period of change for Uber.

It is their policy to compete for shares of the markets without fighting the deeply rooted Uber in a money war. He tries to get the riders on the side instead. "Better we handle our partner chauffeurs so that they can provide our clients with a high level of service," says Uche Okafor, operations director of Taxify in Lagos.

This lower fee is likely to help compensate for the 40% reduction in the ticket prices when competing with Uber Lagos. This enabled the riders to make even more per ride, which increased the pressures on Uber to undo his fall in prices. Taxation is growing fast and is becoming more important in Africa, although it has only brought in 2 million euros, in comparison with the eight-year Uber, which last year borrowed more than 15 billion dollars in capital and outside capital.

It seems, on the basis of discussions with riders and following their own societal interview, that more Uber Lagos riders are entering the Taxify and either are on both rigs or have changed sides wholly. One probable cause is Lagos' infamous congestion, especially between the islands, where it is assumed that there are many Ubersche clients, and the more distant suburbs of Lagos beyond the heartland.

About says that you can take a Uber from the archipelago to Lagos, but you don't anticipate getting a Uber back to the archipelago from there. "It will guarantee the effectiveness of the Lagos chauffeurs as it reduces the ETA for the chauffeurs by providing more chauffeur partner around the main area," says Uber.

Anecdotically, the use of Uber in Lagos can be a little affected and missed, especially when one is outside what it now considers its nuclear cover areas. This could be another chance for competitors to attract more drivers from Uber, but in reality the Lagos car transport between the various lower Lagos outskirts can be so poor that competitors may find it useful to imitate Uber by restricting the range of their services.

Of course, Uber described all this as playing fairly. "Contest and selection mean we all need to enhance our games and be innovative all the time to enhance our services and quality," Uber said in another explanation.