Faras has set the minimum cost for rides at Kes 240 amid protests by local digital taxi drivers who complain that the prices per kilometer have reduced despite skyrocketing fuel prices and the cost of living.
This has led drivers to charge higher fees than the rates listed by platforms such as Faras, Uber, and Bolt and reported cases of passenger harassment.
“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 on Tuesday.
NTSA has capped the maximum commission drivers pay to digital taxi-hailing apps at 18 percent.
“To ease the impact of the price changes, we’ll continue to offer discounts to our customers, and as always, our drivers will receive the balance for discounted trips immediately after the trip ends, directly in their wallet,” Maimbu said.
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He revealed that the company had discussed the move with drivers on their platform and agreed to it.
“We warmly invite our fellow industry players to join us in addressing the drivers' concerns. By collaborating, we can create a fairer and more sustainable future for drivers and passengers and make Kenya a more welcoming place for the ride-hailing business,” added Maimbu.
Among the digital taxi drivers’ issues have been a lack of inclusion in the pricing decisions, heavy taxation, and alleged slow response to security complaints on some of the apps, especially the foreign-owned ones.
