Uber Ghana, the local representatives of the taxi service company, says it will not adjust its 25 percent service fee their driver-partners are complaining about.
Francesca Uriri, Head of Communications for Uber in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), explained that the cost of running the Uber app, improving driver and rider experience as well as providing the 24/7 Global Support and state of the art hubs, is from the 25 percent standard service charge.
“While we will not be adjusting the service fee, we are committed to making Uber the most affordable option to move around and our experience shows us we can make that happen while making Uber the best possible option for driver-partners to earn a living,” she said.
It would be recalled that earlier this week, Uber drivers in Ghana went on a strike, demanding a downward adjustment of the 25 percent service charge Uber charges on their daily sales.
Sometime last week, the drivers alleged Uber charges 10 percent in other countries so the 25 percent it charges in Ghana is not fair.
But in an interview with Adom News, Uriri debunked the claim saying the 25 percent service charge is a standard fee across the SSA markets. The SSA market comprises Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa and Ghana.
Currently, Uber has over 3,000 active driver-partners and is recording some 140,000 active riders in Ghana.
Uriri said that points to the increasing adoption of Uber, not just as a leisure transport option, but also for work and business purposes.
Some riders have also been complaining of frequent premium rates with the excuse that service demand is high. As a result, some regular Uber riders are beginning to opt for cheaper alternatives.
But Uriri explained, “there are times when so many people are requesting rides that there aren’t enough cars on the road to help take them all.”
“Bad weather, rush hour, and special events, for instance, may cause unusually large numbers of people to want to ride Uber all at the same time.”
She said, Uber always informs riders about a raise in rates due to dynamic pricing, and some riders choose to pay, while some choose to wait a few minutes to see if the rates go back down to normal.
“Uber is all about choice. We allow riders the right to choose their mode of transport for the first and last mile,” she said.
She assured Ghanaians, the Uber will continue to create economic opportunities for the people of Ghana through its regular investment in the app and value offerings on the service.
Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com | JoyBusiness