Commuters who use taxi-hailing firm, Uber will soon have an option to use the Nairobi Expressway.
The passengers will have two options – to use the old road or the expressway with the toll charges passed to the passengers and reflected on their fares.
According to head of East Africa Imran Manji, the same will be effective in one month with the firm targeting customers looking for quick trips to to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
“The idea is when you switch on the app and say you want to go to let’s say from Riverside to JKIA, the app recognises that you could use the Expressway and gives you the option to use tolls
“If you use the toll feature, it will match you with a driver who has the toll system in their app to make it a seamless service,” Manji explained.
As such, Uber drivers will install the electronic toll collection (ETC) so that the toll points can be electronically deducted through a pre-installed on-board unit device to enable faster payment.
Motorists are paying between KSh 121 and KSh 1,823 to use the toll
The firm is also working on a feature that will allow drivers to select locations where they want to operate or drop passengers.
According to Manji, the new feature will benefit drivers who are engaged with other jobs and would like to operate within their homes or offices.
“This is such an amazing feature for somebody working in the office and they drive an Uber for one or two hours to supplement their income. I think it is going to be a hugely popular feature once we get it done,” he added.
Uber also noted that the feature will also reduce the chances of driving without a passenger.
