InDrive masterminds come out and promise to comply
Vincent Lilane who is a Business Development Representative at inDrive, Southern Africa, admits they are not complying with laws and regulations of the Department of Road Transport and Safety (DRTS).
He says this is because Botswana does not have specific registration requirements for companies operating under the ride-hailing mobility category.
However, once such regulations are established, inDrive will be fully committed to complying with all registration and operational standards as a way of showing that they are dedicated to ensuring the utmost safety and wellbeing of both their passengers and drivers.
Lilane said their top priority is to ensure that passengers and drivers are safe and this is why they enforce strict criteria whereby only drivers with verified documentation and registration can access their platform.
“Our weekly photo verification security check further ensures that only registered and authenticated drivers operate our service, eliminating any potential anonymity,” he explained.
He noted that all individuals legally permitted to drive in Botswana are invited to apply via the inDrive App.
Every applicant, he said, undergoes a thorough verification process, and those previously barred from their App due to adverse events are not allowed.
Lilane said they have a committed team on the ground in Botswana, focused on liaising with all relevant parties to ensure there is comprehensive knowledge about the functionality of the inDrive App and its ongoing advantages for the country.
Asked if they are aware of grievances raised by the local taxi association who feel that they are unfairly robbing them of business and should be removed from operation, Lilane said they are aware of their displeasure.
“We are actively engaging with both DRTS and the Taxi Association to discuss the comprehensive safety measures implemented both in Botswana and globally,” he said.
However, contrary to Lilane's claims, Edison Tlhomelang who is chairperson of Botswana Taxi Association, said they do not know who operates inDrive but have reported the matter to DRTS.
Lilane said they are also in dialogue with the Botswana Police Service to establish clarity around inDrive operations. The goal, he said, is to foster a comprehensive understanding of how their App functions and ensures the safety and security of both their passengers and drivers.
But the police said they are not aware what inDrive is. What they know is that they will charge anyone for pirating if they are found to be in business without permits.
inDrive was launched in 2019 in Botswana and their App has been downloaded over 175 million times globally. inDrive operates in 655 cities in 48 countries.
Lilane said it supports local communities via its peer-to-peer payment model and community empowerment programmes, which help advance education, sports, arts and sciences, gender equality and other vital initiatives.
BACKGROUND
In our edition of last week, we reported that the Botswana Kombi and Taxi Association had been complaining to the Department of Road Transport and Safety (DRTS) that inDrive, the online controlled transportation service, was robbing them of business.
InDrive is an E-hailing service where passengers can download an App onto their phones, register their names and contacts, give out their location, destination and lastly suggest an amount they can pay for service. The model is similar to that of Uber and Bolt in South Africa. Available drivers are then given an opportunity to negotiate the offered amount, decline or agree to offer service requested.
If an agreement is reached, the driver reaches out by calling the client and just like that, passengers will be taken to their destinations and at the end of their trip, the passenger is asked to leave a comment on the App about their experience with the driver.
Tlhomelang of the Kombi and Taxi Association had told The Midweek Sun that they had observed how inDrive was fast gaining popularity in Gaborone, as more people have been shifting towards the service mainly because they can negotiate prices compared to service provided by licensed and regulated public transport.
Tlhomelang described inDrive as ‘shocking piracy’ done online and whose owners were unknown. He found it disturbing that many are flocking to the App-based service, saying if something is not done soon, the public transport business will collapse because of an unregulated business. In last week's interview, he had expressed hope that DRTS would soon put an end to inDrive as they had heard rumours that some men had been tracked
down and were being questioned.
At the time, DRTS Deputy Director, Edwin Tlhogo had also confirmed having heard about inDrive, saying they were busy doing investigations on it. On the other hand, police spokesperson, Near Bagali said the police had not received complaints about inDrive, but advised all Batswana who use the service to be very careful not to find themselves being victims of crime.