Taxi-hailing app Uber Technologies is contemplating venturing into the public transport sector in Kenya, if Egypt and Mexico trials prove successful.
Talking to Reuters, Uber’s East Africa General Manager Loic Amado estimates that over a third of Kenyans in Nairobi use matatus as their main form of transport around the city which are crowded in most times.
“We want to be part of the transportation ecosystem in Nairobi and matatus are a big part of how people move around,” said Amado.
Through the service, users will book the Uber matatus through the app, the same way they do for taxis.
Read: Nonini Set To Launch Uber, Taxify Competitor App, CabAfrica
In London and New York, the company operates Uber Pool and Uber Express Pool which allows drivers to carry passengers heading to the same or nearby destinations.
If proved successful in Kenya, the service is set to be rolled out in neighbouring countries’ capital cities such as Uganda’s Kampala and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
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