How inDrive is changing ride-hailing service in Tanzania
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- The ride-hailing app has unique features in their app including maintaining the agreed fees even in rush hours.
- InDrive does not use pricing algorithms which are sometimes blamed for inflating prices during the high demand of the service.
Dar es Salaam. With ever increasing rise-hailing apps in the world, as a passenger sometimes it is difficult to decide which riding company you should choose for your daily transport needs.
In making such decisions, a lot are considered by the user including costs, waiting time, security and customer service. In the last four years, Tanzania has witnessed an increase of ride-hailing services including inDrive.
To understand the uniqueness and value addition of the some of the available taxi-hailing services in Tanzania, Nukta Habari had a conversation with Elibariki Kivuyo, representative of inDrive in Tanzania, who detailed their service and the future plans in supporting the growth of transport sector in the country.
The following is the excerpt of the interview:-
In inDrive marketing messages, there is a promise that the service is completely different from other ride-hailing companies. Please, can you explain the difference?
Unlike other ride hailing companies, inDrive does not use pricing algorithms and does not increase the trip charges in rush hours. Once registered, the passenger enters the A and B points of one route and it offers one price for the trip. Offers from available drivers will pop up on the screen.
The passenger then selects the offer that best suits in terms of price, driver rating and vehicle model. Drivers can also choose passengers based on the rating and reviews of users who have just left the ride.
InDrive’s main distinctive feature, which allowed it to become the world’s top 2 most downloaded app for city trips, is that passengers and drivers agree directly on the cost and other details of the ride.
With inDrive you can travel everywhere and for everyone. Ride or drive, shop or deliver, send or receive offer for fair deals. Photo | inDriveHow does the inDrive charge its riding fees?
We are currently working for free ― that is, we do not charge a service fee. It is important for us to gather our active user base and gain a foothold in the market.
We earn on the service fee we take from drivers. We charge not more than 10% without Value Added Tax (VAT), while our competitors charge 20-30%. Drivers can earn more money by working with us and following our guidelines.
Tanzania has recently tightened its transport regulations including regulating taxi-hailing apps like yours. Is inDrive legally licensed to operate in Tanzania?
inDriver is an officially licensed ride-hailing service in Tanzania by LATRA (The Land Transport Regulatory Authority in Tanzania).
We always strictly comply with the local laws in all countries we are operating in. We pay all taxes. We respect high security-standards. Furthermore, we often launch various non-profit projects in the field of education and development of local communities.
In Tanzania, for example, we have BeginIT ― an international educational project aimed at developing information technology skills for underprivileged children. We held a large workshop a month ago for children of four schools in Tanzania, which was also attended by representatives of the LATRA.
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How does inDrive provide security for its users?
InDrive applies the highest security standards used by the largest IT companies, and sometimes our criteria is even stricter. All drivers are verified, and this means there is no anonymity on the platform. We have a support service available 24/7 via our app or email. We have also implemented a system of mutual reviews and ratings.
What distinguishes our application is that both drivers and passengers can choose each other based on reviews and other information. We have zero tolerance for any discrimination, harassment, or violence in our service, and security issues are of the utmost importance to us.
The app includes a panic button, as well as the possibility to share the route with friends and family. Which market are you most influential in?
inDrive is based in Mountain View, California in the United States of America (USA) and operates regional hubs in America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. In each region, we have countries where we hold leading positions. In Asia ― Pakistan, in the CIS ― Kazakhstan, in Latin America ― Mexico and Colombia, in the Middle East ― Egypt and Morocco. In Africa ― South Africa and Nigeria.
We are transforming the platform into an urban marketplace, so it will be appropriate to clarify which service we are talking about in the near future.
How much growth do you expect for Tanzania?
Our goal is to hold a prominent position in the ride-hailing and other mobility verticals in the foreseeable future in the country. We are seeing two-three-digit growth across all indicators. However, it is wrong to see these figures now, because we are still at the beginning of the road (“low base effect”) and buildour stats.
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