Virscom, a Kenyan based company that mostly deals with technology, has entered the taxi sector by launching a new taxi hailing app, ShareCab. The new application is expected to charge drivers a flat rate membership rate of Sh2, 000 per month as compared to the other taxi hailing applications that charge through commissions.
ShareCab is taking a different direction from the other taxi services as it focuses on the drivers more. With the drivers paying a flat fee, it means that they will be able to earn more. In addition, the company has not forgotten about the riders either as they introduced an additional cab sharing facility that will allow riders to share a cab and earn discounts of up to 50%. The application will enable riders to split the fare with a maximum of three other customers.
Mwakio Ngale, Virscom Founder and CEO said, “ShareCab is a state-of-the-art app, offering every facility in Kenya for app-based taxis, plus new models on ride sharing, zero commission so that drivers earn far more per ride, and a green motivation in reducing rides through sharing.”
In addition, the team behind the application has also unveiled a new feature that is unique to ShareCab. The team incorporated an SOS button in the app that will call the police instantly in case the rider experiences anything wrong during the ride.
In order to guarantee the customers that they are safe, ShareCab team put their drivers through a firm vetting program that ensures that the right drivers are selected to operate on the platform.
“We collect the drivers’ copies of Certificate of Good Conduct, KRA certificate, national ID and passport size photographs. We have also partnered with an agency that assists us with the drivers’ background checks,” added Mwakio Ngale.
ShareCab has come at a time that taxi drivers have expressed their discontent, through strikes, towards the large commissions that is taken from their fares by their employers. Uber, for instance, takes 25% while both Little and Taxify take 15%.
ShareCab is expected to be launched across Kenya over the next 6 years. They also plan to hit international markets in a year’s time.
