Talk of affordability or accessibility, Uber Kenya is yet to break even since the taxi hailing service was unveiled in Kenya for various fundamental reasons. Although the service is relatively affordable compared to traditional taxi service providers in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, common ‘mwananchi’ depending on minimum wage still cannot afford it. To mitigate the cost, uber competitors such as taxify and Safeboda unveiled a hailing service that utilizes popular motorbikes in Nairobi.
Its therefore only reasonable to take the service where the so called common ‘mwananchi’ can afford and is well accustomed to. Taxify did it with the motorbike boda’s and seems to be doing just fine; why not Uber? Especially in Mombasa where there’s still some room to breathe compared to Nairobi in terms of competition. ‘TukTuks’ are not particularly popular here in Nairobi Kenya, but they are adored in our coastal city of Mombasa. The service ‘uberPOA’ therefore combines affordability and accessibility to offer people in Mombasa a solution that resonates well with them.
According to uberPOA, riders in Mombasa will no longer have to walk searching for their rides. This basically means the service will be more accessible more than before after bringing tuktuk onboard. Just like the way UberChachap works here in Nairobi, uberPOA will become an option in riders uber app alongside uberX.
Cost schedule for uberPOA via tuktuk
- Base fare is set at – Kenya shillings 10
- Minimum fere – Kenya shillings 50
- Fare per Kilometere – Kenya shillings 15
- Fare calculated per minute – Kenya shillings 3
uberPOA is currently only available in selected areas within Mombasa; this includes Mombasa Island (Town), Nyali, Mkomani, Kongowea, Kisauni, Bamburi. When requesting your uberPOA, your pick-up and drop-off points have to be within the current service area. Uber says these areas will be expanded soon enough to serve even more people in Mombasa.
How to use uberPOA
- Open the Uber app and set your destination within the service area by typing in the “where to” field
- Select uberPOA vehicle icon at the bottom of the screen
- Tap on “Confirm uberPOA”
- Your uberPOA will be on the way to your doorstep in minutes. Jump in, Mombasa!