• Quiet ride

    Quiet ride

    Ride-hailing platform Uber is going electric in Kenya, launching a fleet of electric motorbikes.

    Reuters reports that the Electric Boda programme is in line with the company’s goal of becoming emissions free by 2040.

    It will roll out 3 000 motorbikes in the first six months, making up about a fifth of its fleet.

    Kagiso Khaole, Uber’s GM for sub-Saharan Africa, says drivers will save 30%–35% on operating costs, and users of the platform will pay 15–20% less for an Uber motorbike trip.

    ‘You will experience lower vibrations, less sound,’ Khaole says.

    The company has hinted it might expand the programme to its other sites in Africa. It currently operates in Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania and South Africa.

    5 September 2023
    Image: Unsplash