The competition for ride-hailing services in Kenya has gone a notch higher following Uber’s rival Taxify to launch two new products that will compete head-to-head with Uber Chap and Uber Select.
Dubbed Taxify Go and Taxify XL. The former seeks to provide a ride for commuters who want to go from point A to point B in the most economical way possible. The latter is for commuters who want to travel with a particular style and are willing to pay extra to get the set of wheels that tickle their fancy.
Taxify Go charges
Base Fare: Ksh 75 ($.075)
Per Km: Ksh 22 ($0.22)
Per min: Ksh 3 ($0.03)
Minimum fare: Ksh 100 ($1)
Taxify XL
This product is mainly meant for larger groups which will require a sitting capacity of six passengers. The fare is as follows:
Base fare: Ksh 100 ($1)
Per Kilometer: Ksh 40 ($0.4)
Per minute: Ksh 4 ($0.04)
Minimum fare: Ksh 250 ($2.5)
Uber Chap Chap versus Taxify Go
Kenyan commuters traveling on a budget will now have a choice between Uber Chap Chap and Taxify Go. Taxify particularly launched that category of rides to better compete with Uber, which was seeing a lot of demand for the tailored economy class.
Uber Chap Chap category has fuel-efficient cars like the Suzuki Alto, which has significantly less mileage compared to the fleet of vehicles found under UberX. So much so that Uber Chap Chap rides are Ksh 100 ($1) less expensive than Uber X.
There are reports that Uber Chap Chap will soon launch in Uganda and Tanzania following the Nairobi launch. Though there seem to be some complaints from Uber Chap Chap drivers, especially those who got their Suzuki Alto by a loan from the deal struck between Stanbic Bank and CMC Motors. The drivers complain they are not making much profit, after catering for the fuel, servicing of the vehicle, and paying the loan installment.
