By Adeyinka Olumide
Uber Technologies Inc on Friday unveils a test run of a boat service in Lagos to avoid the megacity’s notoriously congested roads.
The waterway service, UberBOAT, is operated in partnership with local boat operator Tarzan Connection Ferries and the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), said the ride-hailing firm.
“This initiative is aimed at providing commuters with an easy and affordable way to get in and out of the city’s business districts,” Uber said in a statement.
The pilot phase will operate on weekdays from 0700 GMT to 1600 GMT on two fixed route Ikorodu to Falomo in the morning and Falomo to Ikorodu in the evenings. The pilot scheme is to run from October 11 to 25, this year.
Passengers will be charged a flat fare of N500 ($1.39) per trip, compared with about N300 by minibus for a same distance in the commercial hub of the West African country.
At a press conference on Friday, Uber officials said there would be four trips a day, carrying up to 35 people on a boat, during the two-week pilot.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos state, said the Uber boat service, and the use of waterways in general, were part of a raft of initiatives aimed at easing congestion that include a program of road repairs.
“We want ferries that carry 60 to 80 people,” he said, referring to his hopes for the future use of waterways, on Thursday at a forum with businesses.
Uber’s boat initiative follows a number of motorcycle ride-hailing firms that have targeted West Africa as an area for expansion in the last few months.
Technology giant Google also launched a new feature in July that allows Nigerians to hear travel advice in a local voice on Google Maps. Another feature allows users in Lagos to seek directions from “informal transit” services, such as private minibuses
