Global ride-hailing company, Uber, has announced the planned introduction of new features on its app for drivers in Kenya. This includes being able to choose routes in which they want to operate.
According to media reports, the drivers will be able to use the Nairobi Expressway and toll charges will be passed on to passengers. The new features will be very convenient for drivers who want to work close to home or their other jobs. They will also reduce the travelling time, ensuring that passengers get to their destinations much quicker.
“The idea is when you switch on the app and say you want to go to let’s say from Riverside to JKIA, the app recognises that you could use the Expressway and gives you the option to use tolls,” Uber head of East Africa Imran Manji said.
The drivers will install an electronic toll collection (ETC) app which will allow for faster payments.
Reports say that motorists are paying between $1.04 and $15.55 to use the toll road being operated by Moja Expressway, a subsidiary of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC).
The features will reportedly be available to drivers in a month.
“We will try and match them (drivers) with a ride going on route or vicinity of where they want to go,” Manji said.
“This is such an amazing feature for somebody working in the office and they drive an Uber for one or two hours to supplement their income. I think it is going to be a hugely popular feature once we get it done,” he said.