Digital Taxi Forum representing 2,000 drivers for cab hailing services like Uber & Taxify in Kenya has gone on a week-long app switch off protesting against the companies low rates and high commissions. The drivers complain about the customers being charged lower fares due to the steep competition between ride-hailing services in Kenya, an average ride with Uber, Taxify, and others currently costs about $1.50 which doesn’t give them enough pay-out to maintain the running cost of having a car in Kenya. The drivers have to work longer hours to actually make enough money to balance their dues.
Digital Taxi Forum has taken on legal actions to get the government to designate the ride-hailing companies as transport companies and not technology companies as is the case currently, they also want the companies to double their rates and reduce their commissions to a standard that helps drivers in Kenya earn better wages.
Uber is currently reviewing everything that impacts driver-partner earnings. In the meantime Uber will continue to have the earnings guarantee to support driver-partner fare earnings until the review is complete, Uber said on their Twitter account.
Uber currently charges a 25 percent commission on each ride, while apps like Taxify and Little Car charge 15 percent, African News Reports.
@uber_kenya @LittleRideKE @Taxify_ke What next? pic.twitter.com/QXOuLfLPPP
— Jackie A (@Jackie_Arkle) July 3, 2018
We are always available to help driver-partners and there are a number of ways driver-partners can let us know if they have any individual concerns. Our teams are working hard everyday to find even more ways for driver-partners on Uber to thrive. [2/2]
— Uber Kenya (@uber_kenya) July 3, 2018
Sort your mess with drivers first before printing us nonsense,clean your house first and both riders and driver will be happy,who will want to ride with a distressed driver
— Wanjala Lucas (@WanjalaLucas) July 3, 2018
“We are like employees but we don’t have benefits and we cannot, therefore, be legally allowed to form a trade union,” Uber driver Edwin Waithaka points out.
From the CBD to Kenyatta National Hospital, for instance, Mr. Karori makes about Sh300 or less. So when Uber takes out 25 percent, he’s left with about Sh225. He will use the same money to pay Sh300 daily parking as well as meet the cost of the car wash. He also has to have adequate airtime and airtime apps to enable him to communicate with clients. “At the end of the month, I am expected to pay Sh60,000 to the owner of the vehicle and still make my profit,” Mr. Karori recounts, saying last month he could only raise Sh50,000, forcing him to borrow the balance to remain afloat, Nation Reports.
[…] is also helping its women drivers to generate thousands of shillings in return. Unlike the other car-hailing services it is competing with, An Nisa drivers will get 90 percent of the fares while the remaining 10 percent goes to the […]
[…] is also helping its women drivers to generate thousands of shillings in return. Unlike the other car-hailing services it is competing with, An Nisa drivers will get 90 percent of the fares while the remaining 10 percent goes to the […]
[…] is also helping its women drivers to generate thousands of shillings in return. Unlike the other car-hailing services it is competing with, An Nisa drivers will get 90 percent of the fares while the remaining 10 percent goes to the […]