inDriver, an international online ride-hailing service, has launched its services to residents of Lagos State.
Headquartered in New York and used by over 26 million people across more than 200 cities, inDriver, allows its users to independently set the price for their trip, while drivers can choose the most profitable and convenient orders.
The app’s Real-Time Deals model, according to the company, combats algorithms used by other ride-hailing companies, which rack up prices because of peak hours, traffic and request history. The company further explained that inDriver allows passengers to set their own fare for their chosen route, while nearby drivers who receive notice of ride requests have three choices – accept the fare offered, ignore the offer or bargain for a higher price.
“Until today, taxi services in Nigeria did not leave any choice for local residents when it came to the cost of the trip. Users were only offered to agree to the price specified in the application or on the taxi counter. inDriver came to change this situation. We want customers and drivers to independently and directly determine the fare and favourable price for each trip. Already today, residents of Lagos using inDriver will be able to make sure that the cost of travel can be significantly lower than the usual prices,” said Egor Fedorov, Chief Marketing Officer.
Lagos is the first city in Nigeria where inDriver was launched. The service is already operating in Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, and Tanzania. inDriver has already connected more than 6,000 drivers in Lagos, and dozens of new drivers are being registered daily. At the initial stage after the start, inDriver will not charge drivers any commission, Fedorov explained.
A unique feature of inDriver is that drivers are not automatically assigned to riders. Once the counteroffers are in, passengers select the most suitable driver in line with what categories are most important to them – fare, driver rating, estimated time of arrival or vehicle model. inDriver has the option to make the rides safer. Passengers can share their GPS location and ride details in real-time from the app with trusted contacts.
