Since Uber began operations in Ghana two years ago, several other taxi services have sprung up.
Among them are the likes of Taxify, Yenko Taxi, Uru Drive, Droppin and Enshika.
These new ‘Uber killers’ seem to be going to all lengths to acquire a commercially viable part of Uber’s market share and possibly overthrow the global transport giant in Ghana.
But one transport app which seems to be leaving no stone unturned in displacing Uber is Enshika.
Enshika, an online taxi booking service, initially operational in Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi, has now officially launched its services in other parts of the country.
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You could say their initial silent operation was a tactic to test the waters, to know which places to hit hard.
The company known for referring to drivers as Captains and passengers as Riders seeks to transform the Ghanaian transport sector by becoming the first and possibly the only service in West Africa to be available through USSD for users who do not have access to smart phones.
Officials revealed that Enshika wants to take things a notch higher by not just being a travel app, but a lifestyle app which covers all aspects of a person’s daily life. As such Enshika offers payment services for utilities and school fees.
The app also caters for your security needs through an SOS button which can be used to alert the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Fire Service on emergencies.
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Other Features of Enshika
Enshika has teamed up with national associations like GPRTU and CTU in order to let drivers of these unions get requests from riders.
Due to this partnership, customers have the choice of booking for a Mini, Sedan, Taxi or an SUV, and to reserve rides when required.
Enshika also allows users to pay for medical bills and insurance among others through the USSD, Pass System, Enshika Points, SOS and other such Payments services.
The company is poised to be the first in Ghana to offer real-time identification of the user (driver and customer) based on the IDs that they will use to onboard themselves on the app including Voters ID, Driving License, SSNIT or Ghanaian Passport.
For starters, Enshika is offering a commission free system where fleet managers and Captains can enjoy a 100% commission by purchasing the Enshika Pass.
Customers who sign on to Enshika as Captains will also have an opportunity to enjoy fuel credit every morning, while Riders stand the chance of earning points every time they take a ride.
Both Captains and Riders can also earn more points anytime their referred Captains, friends and families sign up to drive or ride with Enshika.
Finally the app offers a permanent discount to corporate and student Riders, while allowing them to pay for their families and friends from the Enshika Wallet. Patrons can transfer their Enshika credit to family and friends when needed by using their Enshika ID.
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In Conclusion
These are some jaw dropping features, most of which are not available on Uber or any of the competing transport/taxi apps.
If Enshika can pull this off seamlessly, then they certainly will be in the run-up to becoming the most used transport app and maybe better than Uber given the versatility of their features.
Another strong selling point is their partnership with the GPRTU which gives some leverage to persons already in Ghana’s public transport system.
This may take time to pick up but it’s worth the wait. So for now, let’s go cruising and see how far we could go.
In any case the app is available on the Google Play and Apple stores. Both the Travel and Captain versions have over 1k downloads with a 3.7 and 4.7 rating respectively. Is this a great start or even better?
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By Teiko Daitey
MyBeepOnline
