CEO Bob Collymore during the launch of Little in Nairobi on July 5, 2016. FILE PHOTO | NMG
Safaricom online taxi-hailing app, Little,
is set to begin operations in Lagos in October, taking abroad its battle
for customers with rival firms Uber and Taxify that are also present in
the West African nation.
The e-hailing firm’s entry into Nigeria marks Little’s first foray outside Kenya.
Little’s
chief executive Kamal Budhabatti on Wednesday said that the firm is
also aiming to grow its network locally by launching the e-hailing app
in Eldoret and Nakuru towns. Little is currently available in Nairobi,
Mombasa and Kisumu.
“Our team is already in Nigeria
ahead of the official launch set for October 8 and we are hoping to grow
the business further in the continent.
Locally, we are
the first to venture into Kisumu city and we will be rolling out the
service to other towns that our surveys suggest need the e-hailing
service,” said Kamal.
The
e-hailing app, developed by local Financial technology firm
Craftsilicon, has so far registered about 2,000 drivers to its platform
and makes 10,000 trips daily, according to Mr Budhabhatti.
Mr
Budhabhatti said recent features added in the app, which include a
panic button to boost security of riders and drivers and a facial
recognition system, will also be introduced in the Nigerian market.
The system improves security of its riders and cuts down cases of drivers sharing accounts or using unknown accounts.
The firm conducts checks using the security feature every time a driver logs in to verify their identity.
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