Taxify is now in Limpopo and soon will be in East London

Taxify, the ride-hailing service said that it has now expanded its operations to Polokwane (Limpopo) and East London in the Eastern Cape.

Taxify, the ride-hailing service said that it has now expanded its operations to Polokwane (Limpopo) and East London in the Eastern Cape.

Published Oct 3, 2018

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CAPE TOWN - Taxify, the ride-hailing service, said that it has now expanded its operations to Polokwane (Limpopo) and soon will be in East London in the Eastern Cape.

Taxify told Business Report that it launched in Limpopo today and would only be in East London in the Eastern Cape later this month.

Taxify has completed a $175 million (R2.5 billion) investment round, which will allow it to expand its services in more countries and cities including these two new areas. 

To date, Taxify now operates in a number of cities across SA, since it began operations in 2016.

These cities include:

- Port Elizabeth

- Durban

- Ekurhuleni

- Tshwane

- Cape Town

- Limpopo

Taxify is currently in 25 countries across the globe, but it should also be noted that the company operates more in SA than any other state. 

In SA, the ride-hailing company has 80 permanent staff members, but this should change as the company expands. 

“Demand for ride-hailing services is growing across South Africa as public transport is increasingly unreliable and the costs of car ownership soar,” said Gareth Taylor, Taxify’s country manager for South Africa.

“Ride hailing services like Taxify make it possible for more people to enjoy the convenience and safety of getting from one place to another, without the costs of car ownership or the inconvenience of public transport,” Taylor added.

NEW FEATURE

In August, Taxify said that they added a new feature called Driver Destinations. 

With this feature, drivers can indicate where they are heading to when their day starts or ends so that the ride-hailing app can find and connect them with trips that are on their way. 

According to Taxify, they have added this feature to help their drivers maximise their daily earning potential. 

Driver Destinations can be set up two times a day which means that drivers that are on their way back home or towards areas with high demand can set their destination to earn fares that are along their routes. 

Taylor said: "Taxify shares objectives with its driver partners: we are constantly looking for ways for drivers to increase their revenue, reduce their costs, and to stay safe while utilising the platform."

The company has also partnered with Namola to improve the safety of Taxify drivers. According to Taylor, if a driver using Taxify is in distress they can push the SOS button in the app and their location will be shared with Namola immediately to assist the driver. If the driver requires immediate assistance, an armed response unit will be sent to the driver by Namola. 

Taxify has also increased their rates. Trips are now calculated at R0.75 per minute and the cost per kilometre is R7.50. The base fare of R5 and the minimum fare of R20 remains unchanged. 

-BUSINESS REPORT ONLINE 

Taxify services in Polokwane will begin on Wednesday (3 October), with operations in East London set to commence later this month.

BUSINESS REPORT ONLINE 

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