As e-hailing drivers across Nigeria continue to wail under the weight of what they describe as poor working conditions afforded to them by apps, SimpliRide, a new ride-hailing app, has today launched its services in Nigeria to address the challenges of the drivers.
According to the Director of Business Development, Dr Raymond Odu Dibang-Achua, who spoke with Technext, SimpliRide, whose technology is managed by Epevs Studio, was established to change the narrative in the e-hailing sector, while offering uncompromised quality service.
Describing the app’s model as “the future of e-hailing”, Raymond said its purpose was to address the pain points of drivers.
“SimpliRide was built based on input from drivers because our purpose is to address drivers’ pain points. We have an inclusive policy. We listen to our drivers, they have a say at the table. The app is built proudly by Nigerians for Nigerians with the highest level of engineering competency. We are the bridge between the gig economy and the formal economy. Our model is the future of e-hailing,” Raymond said.
Perhaps the most critical of these pain points is overbearing commissions demanded by app companies. Bolt, for instance, charges up to 20% of fares as commission, while Uber charges 25%. An app like LagRide reportedly charges up to 35%.
But SimpliRide is entering the market with a zero commission policy. In its place, the app will only demand a daily subscription of N1,500 from drivers regardless of how much they make daily.
“The app is free for the first 30 days, and after that, the driver pays N1500 every 24 hours, a chunk of which goes back to the drivers as cash incentives. Riders have the option to negotiate fees.
The app is currently live in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt. It will be available in other states soon. Raymond said the app is fully licensed to operate in these states.
SimpliRide’s collaboration with the drivers’ union
Aside from its revolutionary model, SimpliRide also enjoys strong backing from the Nigerian e-hailing union (AUATON). So much so that there have been reports that the app is co-owned by drivers.
Reacting to those claims, the union said this is far from the truth. According to a union spokesperson, the app is not owned by drivers; rather, it was endorsed by the union because the company offers a joint-regulation model with the union based on agreement.
“Simpliride is an app just like every other app out there. The union endorsed it to revolutionise and rekindle the hope of app-based workers in Africa, starting from Nigeria, putting an end to several years of struggle with exploitative app companies,” the spokesperson said.
Raymond agreed with the union, insisting that SimpliRide only has a partnership with the union and nothing more.
“SimpliRide was built after listening to drivers to address their pain points. We have a partnership with AUATON. We have not paid anyone in the union to market Simpliride. We are a world-class company with an unwavering commitment to honest, ethical business practices. We have zero policy for all these “shadowy business dealings”. SimpliRide is the future,” he said.
The union said some benefits agreed with the new e-hailing app include joint decision-making on standard trip price, health insurance for all drivers, life and trip insurance against death, micro-pension savings for retirement or losses and mortgage savings for personal home.
Others are: prioritising safety and security, freedom to accept or reject rides without persecution, rider profiling and KYC that has been lax in other apps, unlimited destination settings, access to hire purchase and rental cars, 24-hour help service, ownership reward, and no deactivation or block without a fair hearing.
Several e-hailing drivers are reacting to the launch of the new ride-hailing app, purportedly set to redefine e-hailing. While many drivers think it is a welcome addition whose offerings are quite driver-friendly, others have expressed scepticism, pointing out stress points like poor awareness for riders and the general public.
“How will they hit the ground running when riders don’t know about it, only the drivers? Even if they give drivers several weeks of commission-free, what are they doing for riders? This idea of drivers using their mouths to tell riders won’t be enough. There has to be a solid plan for publicity and awareness,” one driver told Technext.
See also: LagRide drivers to start using Uber, Bolt, inDrive as NLC wades into CIG dispute
“We have accepted them as our own, but what are they doing to make the riders accept them too?” another driver stressed. “If you want to take over from Uber and Bolt, then you have to invest heavily in publicity and promos that will benefit drivers and riders to lure them to your app. Even the Bolt and inDrive you want to take over from, you can’t scroll two pages online without their ads popping up. But I have never seen a SimpliRide digital ad pop up,” he said.
Responding, Raymond said there is already a massive engagement campaign for riders and drivers.
“We already have ongoing engagement of riders and drivers. Marketing and public campaigns, too, you may have been noticing some of them,” he said.
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