inDriver expands to Durban, Pretoria and PE

4 Oct 2019

Ride hailing app inDriver is live in Durban, Port Elizabeth and Pretoria, with over 1,000 new drivers already registered in each city. The set-your-own-price taxi app launched successfully in Cape Town and Johannesburg earlier this year. Since entering the African market in Tanzania in 2018, the company has since expanded their reach to include cities in Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria.

inDriver expands to Durban, Pretoria and PE

The app’s Real Time Deal (RTD) model allows passengers to set their own fare for their chosen route. Nearby drivers who receive notice of ride requests have three choices - accept the fare offered, ignore the offer or bargain for a higher price. “We designed the app to combat algorithms used by other ride-hailing companies, which rack up prices because of peak hours, traffic and request history,” says inDriver spokesperson Rifqa Carr.

To book a trip, riders enter their current location and destination as well as the price they are willing to pay. This will be seen by nearby drivers who can then decide to accept the fare or offer a counterbid. “Passengers using the app pay on average 20-30% less than with other services. We do have a fare minimum, which is region-specific, but the final fare is set by both rider and driver in a real-time negotiation,” says Carr.

The app also benefits drivers, with 0% commission charged for the six to 12 months. “Drivers have the freedom to choose whichever ride request they like, without any risk of being penalised. They’re also able to see the full fare, from point A to point B, and can then decide if they want to accept the request – or not,” says Carr.

inDriver does not automatically assign drivers to riders. Once the fare is set, passengers select the most suitable driver in line with what categories are most important to them – affordability, driver rating, estimated time of arrival or vehicle model. Cutting out transaction fees and other costs associated with higher commission rates, payment is cash only.

The app has a safety button which allows both driver and riders to call emergency numbers from the home screen. Both parties can also share their live GPS locations with friends and trusted contacts at the start of their trip.

Six years after their initial launch, inDriver is among the top five ridesharing and taxi apps downloaded globally. Used by 32-million people across more than 300 cities in 26 countries worldwide, inDriver is available for download on Google Play and the App Store.