![[Kenya] Uber faces drivers’ wrath after fare cut](assets/images/Uber.jpg)
[Kenya] Uber faces drivers’ wrath after fare cut
Hundreds of taxi drivers in Nairobi affiliated to taxi hailing company Uber have taken to the streets to oppose the company’s 35 per cent reduction in fare announced last week as it looks to weather growing competition.
The company which is in 10 Sub Saharan African countries has recently looked at overcoming growing competition in Kenya where technology has inspired similar ventures with the latest entrant being the dominant telco Safaricom which recently launched Uber rival, Little Cabs.
The 35 per cent fare cut by Uber has rubbed Uber drivers the wrong way. The drivers, under the umbrella Kenya Digital Taxi Association, have taken to the streets, blocking traffic along a main Nairobi highway and refused to accept ride requests for the better part of Tuesday.
Uber dropped the price per km to 35 shillings from 60 shillings ($0.59) last week. It also cut the waiting rate per minute to 3 shillings from 4 shillings previously.
Drivers refused to accept ride requests most of the day and waited outside Uber’s office in Nairobi. The umbrella taxi body is asking that Uber also lower the cut that it takes from the drivers’ earnings, from the current 25% to 15%.
“They don’t want to deal with a group. They want to deal with drivers and partners individually so that they can easily oppress us,” he said. “Say no to neocolonialism,” the group said on its Facebook page, calling on other drivers to join. Others held signs that said, “We should not be Uber slaves in our own country. Shape up or ship out.”
Uber responded in a statement. “Uber has improved the driver experience with flexibility, increased economic opportunity and established communication channels,” the statement read. “Anyone can speak to us at any time. There are many ways driver-partners can let us know if they have any individual concerns.”
Uber, which allows users to book and pay for a taxi by smartphone, further said the cuts were in the drivers’ interest as they would attract more customers, adding it had consulted with its drivers before cutting prices.
Simon Mbogo, the secretary general of the Kenyan Taxi Digital Association, which represents the drivers, said the drivers would all switch to Little Cab if Uber did not accede to their demands by Tuesday afternoon.
