Ride-hailing platform Uber has announced a new service that lets customers pay Ksh110 more per trip “to increase the likelihood and speed” of matching to a driver.
Kenya’s digital taxi services market comprises Uber, the Kenyan-owned Faras and Little, Bolt from Estonia and the Indian mobility company Yego.
Faras last week announced it had set the minimum cost for rides at Sh240.
Dubbed ChapChap Priority, the service will only be visible during high-demand periods, according to the company’s head of East Africa Imran Manji.
“Uber has made these pricing updates to ensure that drivers continue to have the opportunity to maximize their earnings while driving on the Uber app and at the same time, remaining at an affordable price point for riders,” Manji said.
Uber drivers get the choice of opting in to earn the additional amount on top of the regular fare, he added. The move follows recent protests by local digital taxi drivers who complain that the prices per kilometre on the taxi-hailing apps have gone down despite skyrocketing fuel prices and the cost of living.
It has led drivers to charge higher fees than the rates listed by platforms, as well as reported cases of passenger harassment.
The American company said ChapChap Priority is part of measures it had taken to boost driver earnings in response to the complaints, alongside “a price increase across all products,” without getting into details.
“We have an ongoing driver rewards program which includes cash bonuses and we aim to reduce driver operating costs through initiatives such as third-party partnerships with vehicle maintenance companies,” Manji added.
The drivers have been protesting what they term as low pay.
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