Safaricom plans to introduce tuktuk and bodaboda rides on its new ride-hailing app company called Little Cabs, targeting passengers looking for cheaper and faster transport options.
To implement this plan, Safaricom recently made the Little Cab platform available to clients without smartphones.
Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore said clients will be able to request for a taxi (and later tuktuk or bodaboda)
by dialing *826# from their mobile phones.
The company whose services were launched two months ago to rival US-based firm Uber's services, said the USSD taxi hailing option is an added advantage over competitor's application that is only available on smartphones.
Collymore said Little Cabs has proven its potential as a local competitor, paving way for expansion in other key towns as well wider East African markets.
“We have already launched in Thika and plans are underway to launch in Mombasa and the rest of East Africa. Our focus in the market is not to initiate price wars with Uber because this market is big enough for everybody,” he said.
