13 Oct 2024

Gone are the days when people only relied on traditional public transport such as taxis or cabs, which are slowly, but surely becoming outdated in the advent of technology that provides passenger transport applications such as inDrive.

The entry of the app-based inDrive transport service in Botswana's passenger transport space in 2018 came with benefits such as efficiency, competition and regulatory issues. inDrive is a ride-hailing app that promotes mobility in the emerging world by helping customers and drivers to negotiate a fair price.

With millions of downloads across the globe, the app was founded in Russia in 2012 by Arsen Tomsky; and Batswana especially the youth, tapped into the application and gave the country's passenger transport system a reliable seamless mobility of convenience.

The platform is a cab smart phone app that allows users to set their own fares for rides, which drivers could accept or decline. 

Like other app-based transport services such as Uber and Bolt in South Africa, inDrive uses the customer＊s smart phone to identify their specific location upon request using the global positioning system.

The inDrive aligns and resonates with the country's Reset Agenda priority number three, Digitilisation; which not only unlocks and enables productivity, but is a source of job creation for the youth. inDrive is providing jobs to unskilled youth in the city without any social security, as it is basically self-employing, allowing many youths to earn their own income independently.

Furthermore, the app has reshaped transportation patterns by redefining how people navigate their moves within the city. 

And with the growth in this service, there is a rise in mobility and it has become easy to attend events such as tourism and entertainment activities, take short businesses trips around town and just to move about with ease without any inconvenience. Due to convenient and on-demand of inDrive service, people are opting to using the app service for couriers, although this service is not as popular as that of passenger transport.

Much as it offers simplicity and convenience, the inDrive innovation service has faced challenges and seen as disrupting the existing passenger transport system. There has been concerns about taxi regulations compliance, and although there were no protests, the traditional taxi service had felt the intense competition from this innovation with some calling for its cancelation.

Nevertheless, the service continues to gain popularity as customers prefer its accessibility and convenience, without having to endure the hassle of waiting and navigating on traditional public transport. 

inDrive payment method is also a win for today's tech savvy clientele, as they are able to pay their rides through e-wallets, cash sends, Smega, Orange Money and MyZaka. 

It will not be surprising if in the near future inDrive acquires the use of point of sales machines, looking at the rate of intake so far.

Since inDrive entered Botswana market five years ago, its users an drivers enjoyed it commission free from the app company. However, this year 2024, the company introduced commission charges; a 10 per cent driver fee; according to CIO Africa Magazine.

According to the publication, inDrive Southern Africa business development representative, Vincent Lilane noted that introducing the commission charge forms part of a strategy to make further investments in Botswana, describing the country as a top priority market. Furthermore, Lilane said in the Magazine that the introduction of commission charges aligned with their strategic goals of providing fair urban mobility access to more customers in Botswana.

Despite challenges that come with the introduction of inDrive and other passenger transport services in Botswana space, it is clear that these are signs of modern times where technology is used for ease of work. 

The impact of technology remains profound, reshaping, defining and enhancing the future of transportation. Ends