Uber launches cash test platform in Nairobi

NAIROBI, KENYA; The smartphone car service Uber Company has launched a cash test pilot in its own platform in Nairobi.

Uber, an online innovative smartphone app that seamlessly connects taxi operators (drivers) to travelers seeks to change from use of debit cards to an option of paying by cash.

Having rolled out the cash system in Hyderabad, India last month, Uber now targets users that are not comfortable having their debit or credit card details online. Nairobi now has a safe, reliable and convenient transportation option.

Jambu Palaniappan, Regional General Manager for Eastern Europe aid: “Riders will have access to all the current Uber features and more when it comes to paying for their ride. Riders need to simply choose the Cash payment option, take a ride and pay their driver directly in cash at the end of the trip.”

He observes that most Kenyans prefer paying by cash. The introduction of the cash option is a signal as to why there is a sluggish growth adoption of cashless payments by commuters in Nairobi.

“We want to give people choice on the mode they want to use to pay while travelling,” Jambu said.

Asked on availability at odd hours, Jambu explains that at a click of a button in the app, the cab operators working 24/7 drives to your destination of call.  

Being chauffeured by an unknown driver is a thing of the past, the app guarantees safety features.

These includes: Driver information, live GPS enabled map, ability for riders to give feedback, cashless transactions and all drivers are put through rigorous biometric based criminal background checks.

 “Clients don’t pay different prices. We have a consistent pricing no matter who you are,” Palaniappan says.

The most common service for clients is uberX, a low-cost alternative to move you around Nairobi in a safe, cheap and reliable way.

The platform is available in many African cities, such as Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Lagos, Cairo, and now it has arrived in Nairobi. South Africa is the widest market.

Through client referrals and feedback on the ease and efficiency of the service, the network is now available in over 300 cities in 60 countries spanning 6 continents. 

Mwambu Wanendeya, Uber Communications Africa incharge said: “We want to cause a revolution in the way citizens of the world move, work and live. It aspires to transform the way people connect with their communities and to bring safety, reliability, convenience and opportunity to transport systems.