Uber has revealed plans to launch electric motorbike taxis in Nairobi, in what the company says is the first initiative in Africa.
Plans by the multinational taxi company to launch electric motorcycle taxis in Kenya coincide with the government’s plan to roll out electric vehicles across the country.
In a press statement, Uber explained its plan to start with approximately 3,000 motorbikes with a capacity of a rider and one passenger.
“This launch also supports our global efforts to become a zero-emissions platform by 2040,” Uber noted in a statement.
According to statistics from the World Bank, the motorcycle taxi sector commonly known as bodaboda employs more than 1.5 million people in Kenya.
The US app-based taxi company noted that the launch would cut costs for drivers by 30-35 percent and reduce fares by about 20 percent.
Currently, there exist very few registered electric vehicles in Kenya, basically operating in Nairobi.
On the other hand, African startup Spiro announced that it has a partnership with the Kenyan government to supply more electric vehicles in the country.
Trade Minister Moses Kuria said that the government plans to launch additional electric vehicles through partnerships with Spiro in an event that will take place soon in Mombasa.
Spiro stated in a statement it had supplied nearly 10,000 electric bikes to countries including Benin, Togo, Rwanda, and Uganda.
