Accra’s 2.27 million urban population now has access to efficient transport through the ride-sharing platform, Uber. Uber has become popular across the world’s cities for its provision of affordable, safe and reliable transport. Through an easy-to-use platform, it connects drivers with riders in real time, at the touch of a button.
The hustling and bustling in the streets of Accra can become a headache if you don’t have a reliable means of transport to move around and attend to your daily activities in and around the city.
You find increasing numbers of commercial and private cars early mornings and in the evenings, indicating the flow of traffic to and from areas of condensed corporate and commercial activities.
The increasing number of private cars in particular, is partly due to a failed railway system across the city and a poor and unreliable bus carting system. Workers are often in a hurry to buy their own cars within the first three years of gaining a good employment, so they can avoid the poor commercial transport system in the capital.
Thankfully, there is a glimpse of hope in the commercial transport business in Accra now, with Accra joining the Uber network in Africa. The economically vibrant hub is the first city in Ghana to receive the service.
Standardized Fares
Ubers standard and transparent way of charging transport fares makes it easy and clear for passengers to understand. This avoids the often long bargaining and negotiation between taxi drivers and their prospective passengers, and the sometimes unpleasant endings to these arguments. A look at Uber’s fares shows fairness and clarity.
GHS 1.70 Base Fare + GHS 1.30 per kilometer + GHS 0.19 per minute
Minimum Fare: GHS 5
Cancellation Fee: GHS 5
Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of Uber.
Safe and Convenient Transport
Commercial transport has not gotten any safer in the streets of Accra than what Uber is offering passengers in the city. No more walking to the street or nearest bus stops to find transport. You can start the Uber app from anywhere and wait safely for your car to arrive. Late night movements won’t be as dangerous as they have been in the past, as Uber drivers can drive to pick you at your specified location, rather than waiting by the dark streets in the night for several minutes before finding a rickety taxi.
Driver Identity and Tesponsibility
You can easily identify the driver and car coming to pick you up. When a driver accepts your request, you see his or her first name, photo, and license plate number. You can also check whether others have had a good experience with him or her. In addition, the driver can see your first name and rating.
You can contact the driver—and vice versa— through the app if there is any confusion or mishaps. This places a sense of responsibility on the driver, making them put up their best behaviours. Also, we were hitherto unable to identify and trace taxi drivers when we realize we left some of our valuables in the car. We lose them forever.
Share your ETA and Location
You can easily share your ride details, including the specific route and estimated time of arrival, with friends or family for extra peace of mind. They’ll receive a link where they can see in real time the name and photo of the driver, their vehicle, and where you are on the map until you arrive at your destination—and they can do all of this without having to download the Uber app themselves. This provides some security as others are able to follow or monitor your journey.
Feedback and ratings
After every ride, you and your drivers need to rate each other and provide feedback. Uber’s safety team reviews this information and investigates any issues. The mere existence of such a review platform indirectly brings out the best of service from drivers such as driving carefully and obeying motor traffic rules.
24/7 Support
If something happens in a car, whether it’s a traffic accident or altercation between you and your driver, Uber’s customer support staffs are ready to respond to any issues 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That’s surely a big guarantee.
Rapid Response
Uber puts in place a dedicated Incident Response Team to answer any more urgent issues. If they receive a report that a driver or rider has acted dangerously or inappropriately, they suspend their account, preventing him or her from accessing the platform while investigate is underway. This assurance further confirms Uber’s commitment to safety and security and the comfort of its passengers every time.
Why not try your first ride, if you haven’t used it yet. It’s simple, download the app and schedule your first ride.I have tried a couple of times already and i love it .