Need a cab? Get one with vetted driver at the click of mouse
If you are one of those who use taxis and boda bodas to get around, things can sometimes complicated. You sometimes get stuck at home when your regular driver is not available or find yourselves in unfamiliar neighbourhoods with no reliable driver to call.
Then follows the endless wait for our taxi or ‘boda’ guy.
All this might finally be over as a new online service, Maramoja, is launched this week. Maramoja connects clients wishing to use private transport services, be they taxis, boda boda or any kind of vehicle to trusted drivers in their neighbourhood.
“Our goal is to provide unparalleled transport services, regardless of the size or use,” said Maramoja founder and director Jason Eisen.
How it works
This is how it works: on your computer or smartphone, you can access Maramoja’s platform and send a request for the vehicle of your choice. A list of available drivers opens, allowing you to pick one that suits you.
Based on where the driver is at the moment, the system indicates exactly how long you will have to wait.
You then receive an alert when the driver has arrived to pick you up.
It gets better as payment is made easy through the Lipisha platform, but you don’t need to fight with your driver over how much the trip costs, since all fees are set according to Maramoja’s standard price grid.
There is room for the drivers to be rated by their customers, so that high quality of service is always ensured — if a driver gets too many bad reviews, he eventually gets excluded from the service.
You can also save a list of your favourite drivers for easy access next time you need them.
The service is starting small with a fleet of 100 vetted taxis, but will dramatically expand over the next couple of months.