On January 24, 2017, Quick Taxi launched in Uganda- making it the third taxi hailing service provider after Uber and Friendship taxi. On that very day, they made their app available for download. So far, the app downloads are just slightly above 1500 – according to Carl Peter, Head of Tech at Quick taxi.
A month later, Quick Taxi is adding more services to ensure its more user friendly as well as gain an upper hand over the competition. This week, they’re are set to introduce mobile money payment option adding to the already existing cash and visa payment options. Users will be able to make their payments using either Airtel Money or MTN Mobile Money. This comes after a month of running a series of Beta tests.
They believe this will be a big boost in business as majority of Ugandans have since appreciated it as a convenient way of carrying out transactions. However, according to Carl Peter, they’re looking at pushing for mobile money payment option more.
Quick Taxi is a brainchild of Ugandan tech developers with backing from Chinese investors – whom the quick taxi team declined to disclose. However, we understand that the investors brought on board a fleet of 200 branded cars, technical expertise and funding. The full details of the entire deal remain undisclosed for now - but we hope to get more information and once we do, you’ll be the first to know.
With 200 branded cars and an additional 390 private cars, Quick Taxi is covering Kampala, Mukono, Entebbe, Kyengera, Wakiso and some of their surrounding areas. But, if we’re to go by the words of Carl Peter, they’re set to expand and cover all the major cities in Uganda like Jinja, Mbarara, Gulu, Arua etc by close of 2017. He also hinted on their intention to expand to both the Kenyan and Tanzanian markets immediately they fully cover the Ugandan one.
However, we do not know how the regional expansion will work out given that Rocket Internet’s Easy Taxi exited the Kenyan market last year and the current head-on competition between Uber and Safaricom’s Little Cab.
According to Carl Peter, a quick taxi driver makes an average of UGx. 400,000 per week. He however said that the drivers in branded cars make slightly more than those in private cars – a figure he declined to reveal.
Currently, Quick Taxi takes 20% of the revenue earned by the private drivers. Though, before the 3rd month on the platform, the driver takes 100% of the revenues. For the drivers in their branded cars, they’re required to pay a one-time security deposit of UGx. 500, 0000 and later a daily fee of UGx. 90,000 to Quick Taxi for a period of 5 years – after which they can own the car.
Quick Taxi is still doing active recruitment and for one to join, they’re required to have a driving permit, a car in good mechanical conditions and it’s log book.
To get a free ride on quick taxi of upto UGx. 15,000, use the code QTKLA2017