Just as in most cities throughout Africa, bike taxi drivers are in nearly each nook of Nairobi. Josephat Mutiso is among the many first drivers right here to make the change from fossil gasoline to electrical bikes, thanks to a partnership between Uber and Opibus.
“This is way efficient,” he stated. “It is even way easier to ride than the other one. You see, this one you don’t have so ma”ny controls, you just have the throttle, no clutch. The only thing you are focusing on is just the front brake and the rear brake. That way it gives you even more control of the bike. And it is pretty light, it does not vibrate. So even clients like this one better.”
Motorcycle taxis have develop into more and more frequent as public transportation in cities throughout Africa.
Joyce Msuya, the deputy govt director of UNEP, the U.N. Environmental Program, notes that bike taxis have develop into more and more frequent as public transportation in cities throughout Africa.
“The number of newly registered motorcycles, commonly used as taxis or boda boda, was estimated in 2018 at 1.5 million and will likely grow to five million by 2030,” she stated. “Most are inefficient, poorly maintained and heavily polluting. UNEP’s study shows that boda boda drivers can more than double their income if they make the switch.”
In March, the U.N. Environment Program launched the primary electrical bikes mission in Kenya, creating the momentum for Africa’s shift to electrical mobility. The partnership between Uber and Opibus seeks to speed up that shift.
“We are just excited to get as many people exposed to the new technology that we built as possible so they know there is an option,” stated Alex Pitkin, the chief expertise officer at Opibus. “Uber provides, obviously, a lot of boda boda riders, that’s our target client. They often don’t know how beneficial electric motorcycles can be in terms of money-saving, safety, fuel savings, maintenance savings, you know that kind of thing. And longevity of the product as well, they don’t know that.”
Across the world, there’s a shift towards electrical autos due to rising air pollution and climate-damaging emissions from autos.
The African continent has not been left behind in that motion.
“Targeting Africa and African countries is also part of that movement and as Opibus, that is where we are targeting,” stated Lucy Mugala, an engineer at Opibus. “We want all of us to move together. We all move towards a greener energy, a greener economy. And we can only do that if we all come together and empower and build capacity locally.”
Mutiso says he’s incomes extra money now.
“Everything I used to earn and save for the maintenance of the bike,” he stated. “Right now I’m saving it. So right now, I’m making more.”
Experts say {that a} international transfer to electrical mobility is important to the long run and that drivers like Mutiso will profit.