At Nigeria launch, Uber promises ‘to decongest Lagos traffic’

The launch of Uber in Nigeria will help to decongest vehicular traffic in Lagos, the nation’s economic capital, the company that promotes the innovative taxi booking service has promised. Technology company Uber connects riders with drivers through a smartphone app is driving a push for fewer cars on the road using technology while increasing efficiency. With its local entry, Uber will also create employment for the teeming population of unemployed youth in Nigeria, especially in Lagos, Ebi Atawodi, General Manager of Uber Nigeria says. Uber has grown in Lagos considerably since its launch with demand exceeding 100 per cent, he says. “Uber brings job creation, financial opportunity, less congestion, safety, price transparency and innovation into Nigeria”, Ebi told newsmen at a press briefing held in Lagos to introduce the service. She says the introduction of the service to the Nigerian market has created a positive impact on the job market as an avenue for potential drivers to partner with Uber, thus creating flexibility in their schedule and earnings. [blockquote right="pull-right" cite="Ebi Atawodi, General Manager of Uber Nigeria"] "Uber is a completely cashless service, which means an Uber rider’s fare is charged automatically and electronically to their credit or debit card, protecting both riders and drivers, and ensuring that all payments are traceable." [/blockquote] [caption id="attachment_26090" align="alignright" width="802"] Uber has said that the Nigeria launch of its taxi booking service will help to decongest Lagos vehicular traffic[/caption] “It’s really about empowering small business owners. This is because, as a driver, you are doing a couple of things. In this instance, you don’t have to wait for hours waiting for that next trip”, she adds. “With Uber, they just sit in their cars and the job comes to them. This means that we are removing congestion, traffic, and time wasted on traffic. So the beauty is that as a driver, you spend more time working and earning money as opposed to sitting and waiting for a trip.” Under the plan, the UberX ride is typically a Toyota Camry, Kia Cerato, Hyundai Elantra or Honda Accord with a base fare of N500, N10 per minute and N110 per kilometer, the company announced. Uber is a completely cashless service, which means an Uber rider’s fare is charged automatically and electronically to their credit or debit card, protecting both riders and drivers, and ensuring that all payments are traceable. Atawodi says that the service is also about creating a higher level of standard and transparency in the transportation services industry, because with technologies like Uber, the standard is uniform and the experience is the same and seamless. Uber rides features a GPS tracking system that sees where the rider is on the map, making pickup more efficient than alternate means of transportation. Riders also have access to a live GPS-enabled map throughout their journey and can share this with a third party such as family, partners or friends who can track their progress to their destination. “People are changing the way they connect with their cities and get around, and we feel Uber is a big part of this revolution. We believe Nigerians should be allowed more choice in the way they travel and with UberX, we now offer unrivalled value for getting around Lagos safely and securely, at the touch of a button.” The Uber Nigeria Country Manager adds that, “to ensure that Uber riders receive the highest quality rides and reliability, all partner drivers have to have a driver institute card and commercial insurance before they are allowed to drive on the Uber system. Further all our drivers are vetted by the Uber team, making Uber the safest way to get around.” Also available in Lagos is UberBlack; the high-end luxury Uber, riders in Nigeria can also use the Uber application when they travel to any other city in the world where that service is operated.

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