HR Expert, Funmilola Bucknor Narrates Her Ordeal With Uber, Taxify Riders In Lagos

For those who know Funmilola Bucknor popularly known as HR Madam will agree that she is not afraid to speak her mind even it means breaking protocols, she will speak up! Ms. Funmilola is a consultant and certified HR personnel.

Funmilola took to her page to explain her ordeal in the hands of Uber and Taxify riders, according to her, I have suffered in this Lagos especially when it comes to Uber guys... read her account below...

I have suffered in the hands of Uber/Taxify drivers in this Lagos ehn... no be small.

That's how I ordered one on Sunday. He arrived in a car with tinted glass. Let me tell you, it was on Sunday that I discovered that tinted glasses get levels. Se ni windows ehn dudu rakiraki.It was so dark it was overwhelming even from outside.

I said oga sorry, I can't enter your car because of your tinted windows. Let me cancel and order another one.
He didn't even let me land before he gave me one long hiss and then told me to kosi kuro niwaju motor mi jare.

I was like, you zay?!!
Is it by force that I must enter your car ni abi you want to kidnap mi ni?

He said ehn ehn ehn? Baba e ni kidnapper. Baba e ni armed robber. He crowned it by calling me asewo kobokobo.

Hian!! I said okay o, sha carry your car and go o.
He said I should book another ride and let him see nah. That he will not allow anybody to pick me there.

I carried my two left legs and left him there o. He was still huffing and puffing and beating his chest that no other driver will be allowed to pick me.
Me, I did not have energy for that drama. Not on a Sunday pls.

I took another one yesterday from Yaba to Ikeja.
Estimated price was about N1,200.
This guy refused to use maps o. That's how we were going round and round and round.
Only for me to get down from the car after he dropped me... uber charged me N4,800 for thar ride!!!! Azzin four tazan lounloun! Se mo trafu ni?
Kia kia, I contested it and the fare was adjusted and I got my refund.

Uber and Taxify will not kill me for my mother lailai.

Meanwhile, my mom is grounded! She is not allowed to travel anywhere for a while unless I'm the one taking her. She cannot give me heart attack abeg!!

Life sha. See reversal of roles.

There have been calls on Uber and other hailing companies in Nigeria to orientate and train their riders on how they speak, approach and talk to passengers, it has been said that most of these drivers are under depression and they are easily provoked at any given opportunity 

Credit:

Funmilola Bucknor

Battle for Africa: Uber and Taxify go into Okada business

At first, it was MaxGo, Nigeria's indigenous company that started the business trend of how you book for bikes through your app or through calls but this time around Uber and Taxify seem to take key interest in this business sector. In a battle for the soul of Africa, Uber and Taxify have renewed their rivalry and this time it is on motorcycles. Uber and Taxify have recorded massive success in cars as we can see the effects in Nigeria especially now, they have diverse with motorcycles. According to a report by TechCrunch, UberBoda and Taxify's Boda are new babies of the taxis giant in Africa.

Global ride-hailing rivals Taxify and Uber have launched motorcycle passenger service in East Africa. Customers of both companies in Uganda and Taxify riders in Kenya can now order up two-wheel transit by app.

uberBoda, as its branded, is Uber’s first motorcycle service offering in Africa, and second globally after Asia. For Taxify, it’s the first two-wheel launch in any of the company’s 20 plus international markets.

The moves come as Africa’s moto-taxis — commonly known as boda boda­s in the East and okadas in the West –upshift to digital.

Taxify’s “Boda” button

According to a rep of Taxify, he said, "For Taxify, the reasons for entering the market were two-fold, “We noticed there was a need for this service because boda haven’t been very well organized or regulated,”

“The other thing was people had to go search for boda-bodas. We want to bring the convenience we brought to regular taxis to the boda-bodas,” said Anoke.

The company has upgraded its Kenya and Uganda apps with a “Boda” button to order a two-wheel taxi.

Taxify also aims to bring the average boda boda ETAs in Nairobi to under four minutes, the current norm for its car services.

Boda boda rates for Kenya will be 30 Shillings base then 15 Shillings per kilometre (108 naira and 54 naira) compared to 85 and 30 for normal car service. Taxify takes a 15 percent cut.

On safety, the Taxify will only hire boda boda taxi riders licensed by Kenya’s National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and who have at least three years of experience.

Taxify will require their boda boda drivers have 2015 or later motorcycles that pass a company inspection “to ensure the quality is on point and our clients are safe,” said Anoke.

uberBoda

The prominence of motorcycle taxis in Uganda prompted Uber to launch uberBoda there, “We’re all about localization and boda moves Kampala,” “If we’re going to be a part of the mobility solution in Kampala, we can’t do that without having a boda product.”

Uber’s Uganda app will include an uberBoda request icon. uberBoda drivers must have proper motorcycle vehicle and taxi licenses to work with Uber, according to Lits. “In addition, we’re ensuring all drivers have two helmets and reflective jackets for their riders,” he said.

Uber expects uberBoda passenger costs to average roughly a dollar per fare. Lits estimates “there are nearly 2 million weekly boda trips happening in Kampala.” The uberBoda motorcycle service is starting with around 100 drivers.

As they gather research from early activity, both Taxify and Uber in Africa said they plan to look more deeply into motorcycle financing plans for drivers, expanded rider training, and ways to build more safety into the two-wheel taxi markets.

“By forcing Taxify boda boda riders to follow existing rules, like not riding more than two passengers at a time, it will rub off and have the kind of positive market disruption we want to see on the boda boda industry,” said Taxify’s Anoke.

“As we get more data as to drivers’ track records, that becomes a proxy for credit, which we’ll look to roll out to the boda industry,” said Uber’s Lits. As TechCrunch reported, Uber Africa experiments with many things the company doesn’t always do globally, such as cash payments and recently launching moto-rickshaw service in Tanzania.



Credit:
TechCruch