Kenyan Driver Gives Tips for Paying Less When Using Digital Taxi in Nairobi

• Joseph Gikunju, a climate change specialist, disclosed he started part-time taxi driving in 2020 as a hobby
• After four years of experience as a driver and rider, he opened a YouTube channel to advise users on how the apps work
• Gikunju explained some taxi apps have higher rates during rush hours while others maintain their normal rates

TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto brings over eight years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting, offering deep insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.

A Kenyan driver in Nairobi has shared tips on how to save money when using digital taxis. This comes amid the high cost of transport in the city.

Joseph Gikunju, a climate change specialist, disclosed he started part-time taxi driving in 2020 as a hobby.

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After four years as a driver and rider, he opened a YouTube channel to advise users on how the apps work.

Besides advising passengers, he also guides people interested in joining the industry as drivers or investors.

Gikunju explained some taxis have higher rates during rush hours while others maintain their normal rates.

Others, he said, have lower surge time rates. As such, he recommended checking across the apps and weighing options before making an order.

Surge pricing

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, he advised passengers to book rides during off-peak hours to avoid surge pricing, usually during rush hours.

"When there is rain, it will create surge pricing due to a high demand. A trip where you could have paid KSh 200, you end paying KSh 800.

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Every app has a different surge formula. So check the apps, and you will find the one with no surge pricing," he explained.

Understanding the parking fee

Gikunju expounded that another way to pay less fare is to understand the parking fees in malls, supermarkets, or restricted areas.

In this case, he said being dropped in places that charge drivers parking fees would mean the fees would be incorporated in the fare.

Some apps automatically compute this fee in the total amount, while others don't have this feature, meaning the rider will have to pay for parking.

Dont exceed taxi capacity

The experienced driver said most taxis carry a maximum of three people, meaning if you and your friends are going in the same direction, you could save money instead of booking separate taxis.

"When you get into that car when you are four or five, sometimes some drivers will not allow you. Children less than four years old are not considered passengers."

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Arrival at the pick-up point

Some taxi apps have no waiting fees, while others charge the same.

Taxi driver flaunts car

In other news, a man wowed many people online after displaying a car he bought from his savings.

The man working as a taxi driver said he saved KSh 490 a day to buy his second car, which cost KSh 647,000.

He revealed that it was his second taxi car, sparking mixed reactions among social media users.

Proofreading by Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke

Source: TUKO.co.ke