Uber enjoying more patronage
More and more residents of Accra are now patronizing the services of Uber, an online transportation system, for their day-to-day activities.
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Uber’s International Launcher, Mr Leon Mwotia, who made this known to The Mirror in an interview, said the company sought to provide reliable transportation in Ghana and create economic opportunities for all Ghanaians.
“We’ve seen a lot of growth and a really strong organic demand from the people of Accra and what’s been really interesting for us is the different category of people using this service. Everyone in Accra is using it and it’s very exciting,” he said.
Uber has been in Accra for about three months and is hoping to extend its services to all parts of the nation.
Mr Mwotia said some taxi drivers in Accra have taken the opportunity to increase their income by signing up with Uber. He added that, “registration is not restricted to private cars alone.”
“In New York, we have taxi drivers, in Montreal, we have taxi drivers, there are a lot of markets where we have taxi drivers. The taxi drivers use the platform to create opportunities for themselves. So we match them with the demand that we have in Accra by linking them to riders who are looking for a safe, reliable ride,” he explained.
Prerequisite
On the criteria used in selecting and appointing individuals as drivers, he said, “We do a background check on these drivers and we make sure that they are fully vetted, they have the training, they have an up-to-date smartphone and they can use this to locate their riders who need their services.” He added: “One could only apply to be an Uber driver if he or she had a Driving Licence.”
Female drivers
He indicated that a few female drivers were on the platform and expressed the hope that their numbers would increase with time.
Lost possession
Mr Mwotia indicated that Uber had not recorded any theft yet, “but in situations where a rider forgets a possession, Uber can tell them who the driver is and his location” saying, “everything on the platform is tracked.”
“People forget things in cars and we have 15000 customer service agents across the world, who through the app can provide support to locate anything that you lose,” he said.
Uber has no record of serious accidents.
“There have been a few fender benders but all our drivers have full insurance and we have had nothing serious to date, he noted.
Dealing with challenges
Regarding operational challenges UberGh might be facing on the Ghanaian market, Mr Mwotia said the focus of the company was to recruit the best drivers available on the market.
He stated, “I think there’s a learning curve for a large number of people on the platform. There have been challenges in the market about how Uber works. For example, we have a lot of people who do not believe Uber is here, so they request a car, someone drives to their home, then they cancel the request because they were just testing it out.”
“I think everyone should take the opportunity to download the App and give it a try. We think it’s another option for people in Accra to get round in the city. It is just another option for people who are looking for safe, reliable ride to get round the city,” he said.