Uber seems to be going waterways. Uber technology Inc. plans to spread into two West African countries providing a boat service in Lagos, a Nigerian mega city.
The company already has a strong hold in the sub-Saharan Africa including East and Southern Africa except West Africa (besides Nigeria and Ghana). The sub-Saharan Africa is in need for an efficient mean of mass transport system due to the absence of personal car ownership.
Uber has identified the region as a target for potential expansion, Uber’s Chief Business Officer Brooks Entwistle told Reuters.The service company is still in the process with the Lagos state government and regulatory authorities to start Uber Boats services on its waterways, said Brooks.
The other factor that appeals the firm to expand in this region is the rapid growing population and congested nature of cities in West Africa. Nigeria’s population is said to double to 400-million by 2050, as per predictions by the UN making it the third most populous country behind China and India.
“We know the traffic is a priority and we think we can help there,” Entwistle said. “We are having fruitful good discussions with the regulators right now, it is what we are doing this week, we are meeting with partners.” The timeline of the project is still uninformed about.
The San Francisco based company teamed up with Nile taxi to take over the longest rivers in the world back in 2017. The boat taxis helped the masses to bypass the congested streets. Not only this, the company has expanded it’s domination in India (Mumbai) and Croatia as well.
