KTNEX makes entry into Kenya’s digital taxi industry
The digital taxi industry in Kenya has faced many challenges and often occasioned by conflicts among various players in the sector.
At some point, drivers for the two companies that have long dominated the industry, staged a go-slow protest in September last year over claims that high commission and fuel prices were resulting in low profits.
This came after the two companies had failed to effect new regulation that capped the commission at 18 per cent.
However, things have since changed with entry into the market of other taxi app companies, most notably KTNEX which has already been given a nod and licensed by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) after meeting all the requirements to operate in Kenya.
KTNEX will not only charge a significantly low commission of 7 per cent per trip but also has invested heavily in the safety and welfare of both the drivers and commuters.
The company is in the final stages of processing facial identification images to their app as well as organizing second round of training on customer care for their drivers. For safety and security measures, they have an available SOS emergency panic button for both riders and drivers using their app.
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It’s been supported by the GPS tracking system and customers can use it when and if they encounter any danger while on the road.
“Safety is our priority. KTNEX is planning to train drivers on customer care and road safety matters. We would rather have a small number of reputable drivers than thousands,” said Mexine Luttah, the company’s public relations officer and spokesperson.
Security has been a major concern in the industry with many cases of commuters being robbed or assaulted by rogue drivers of digital taxi companies have been reported in the past.
A TikToker and one of the drivers recently exposed a well-known company for enhancing insecurity and advised commuters to be keen on the app they use when hiring taxi services.
In a two-minute video, the TikToker said it’s common to borrow one’s app and use it from a major operating company hence exposing commuters to insecurity.
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This is because the said company does not use facial recognition features on their app and although it is cheap on commuters, there are many risks involved when using their services.
According to Luttah, such cases are highly unlikely with KTNEX since security and safety of both the drivers and commuters are the company’s first priority and all measures to that end are already in place.
“Drivers from KTNEX are subjected to thorough customer care training to ensure professionalism and perfect service delivery while weeding out any potential rogue elements,” Luttah said.
According to Luttah the low 7 per cent commission charged on drivers at KTNEX provides a big space for high earnings and thus a motivating factor to drivers while also avoiding exploitation of commuters.
“A motivated and well-remunerated driver will not be tempted to steal or mug customers and is usually passionate about his or her work,” she reckons.
KTNEX therefore appears to have come in handy to redefine and bring a new dawn into the digital taxi industry and definitely stands out as the company to watch as we embrace diversity in digitalized services.
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