Pan African platform Little App has announced a 15 percent increase in rates across all fleet categories to help drivers cope with the economic challenges they face.

Little App Chief Executive Officer Kamal Budhabhatti said the adjustment aims to reinforce reliability, convenience, and safety to clients.

“We have heard and analyzed the requests from our drivers. Despite the tough economic times that all Kenyans are facing, we believe it is important to support the individuals who keep our platform running. This increase may mean slightly higher costs for our clients, but it also guarantees more reliable and convenient services. A happy driver will always deliver excellent service.”

Drivers have welcomed the decision, terming it a good move to address their economic challenges.

This comes a month after the ride-hailing industry in Kenya was marked by unrest, as drivers demanded better rates to sustain their livelihoods despite rising costs.

This has seen Uber has raise its base fare in Kenya by 10 per cent to Kes220 per ride.

According to Uber East Africa Head Imran Manji, the increase is part of measures Uber took to help increase driver earnings.

In a statement on Wednesday, he revealed that the company has introduced a new service that lets customers pay Kes110 more per trip to increase the likelihood and speed of matching to a driver.

“Uber has made these pricing updates to ensure that drivers continue to have the opportunity to maximize their earnings while driving on the Uber app and at the same time, remaining at an affordable price point for riders.”.

“We have an ongoing driver rewards program which includes cash bonuses and we aim to reduce driver operating costs through initiatives such as third-party partnerships with vehicle maintenance companies.”

This came a week after Faras set the minimum cost for rides at Kes 240.

“After careful consideration, we have decided to increase all our minimum prices [to] Ksh.240 and also review our general prices upwards by a significant percentage. We have also set our commission rate to match the maximum allowed by the NTSA (National Transport and Safety Authority) effective immediately,” Faras General Manager Allan Maimbu said.