Let’s start with what happens.
On my recent trip to Mombasa, I stayed at Nyali. I took an Uber from the Airport and as soon as my soft-spoken Swahili driver arrived to pick me up, he requested me to cancel the ride and instead directly pay him the same amount that the app had displayed.
It was still early in the day and since I had no reason to be afraid for my security, I did it and off we went. I paid exactly what the app had shown.
Key Takeaways
- Taxi Drivers use Uber and Bolt to just fish for clients – not to fulfil rides via the apps
- They demand almost double the fare rates displayed on the riders’ app.
- Bolt and Uber blamed by these drivers for predatory pricing terms
- Riders’ safety is often compromised by being forced to work with drivers outside the app – especially female riders.
- Little Cab remedied the situation by charging riders high enough fares that appease drivers
A week later, on my way back to the airport, there was the usual big problem.
My Uber app showed that a trip from Nyali to the airport would cost Kshs. 750. However, when I talked to the first Uber driver who accepted the ride request, they wanted me to pay Kshs. 1,850.
I have to admit that this was not my first time in Mombasa but it was absurd because, with every new encounter, the price seemed to go up.
Each time, I would cancel and try different drivers until I found one that was willing to charge almost what was displayed on the app.
Using the App to Simply Find Riders
I am convinced that currently most Uber and Bolt drivers in Mombasa just use the apps to connect with riders with no intention of fulfilling the rides using the app.
This makes for a frustrating experience because, like me, anyone that I have asked about their Mombasa cab experience has always wondered why these drivers are on the apps if they are not willing to work with the terms set by the app companies.
Worse still, I recall a female acquaintance complaining, justifiably, that this raises a security issue for female riders because they are then forced to work with the driver outside the app where the ride safety features offered by Uber are not applicable.
Why do the drivers do it?
The simple answer is that the drivers believe they are underpaid by Uber and Bolt.
I have had this conversation with almost all drivers that have ferried me around Mombasa and they always say that the apps have predatory terms which force them to renegotiate the fare rates with clients.
Why not leave the app then?
As one driver put it, “Lazima Watoto wakule bana!”. This loosely translates to “my kids have to be fed”. The apps are the only easy way for drivers to find clients that are ready to ride.
In short, they are fishing for clients from the apps with no intention of using the apps for the actual ride. And to them, this seems like a great way to operate since it also involves getting back at these predatory companies.
That is the same reason why they refuse card payments during rides. One claimed that because of the few rides that they can get in a day, accepting payment via a card disrupts their cash flow since they have to dig back into their pocket to pay for fuel and other expenses.
Surprisingly Little Cab is the only app company that has solved this issue.
How? Well, for the same distance from Nyali to the airport, their app charges Kshs. 1500 to Kshs 1600. These are the same rates that drivers ask for.
However, since Little Cab does not have as big a share of the Mombasa market as Uber and Bolt, drivers are not convinced they can fully operate on that one app. The sentiment I got from one driver is that they have to sort of balance between apps because clients are scattered across mainly Uber and Bolt apps.
Have you ever experienced this issue?
