Just four months after ride-hailing company, Uber, said it was planning a boat service in Nigeria, it has started the pilot run of UberBOAT service in Lagos.
The launch event happened on Friday and was chaired by His Excellency, the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The pilot run, which is in conjunction with the Lagos State Water Authority (LASWA) and local boat operators, Texas Connection Ferries, will last for two weeks.
UberBOAT will be available on weekdays only for the next 2 weeks (October 11th to 25th of October) along the following routes:
- Ikorodu – Falomo in the morning. – N500 ($1.30) per trip
- Falomo – Ikorodu in the evening. – N500 ($1.30) per trip
According to the Governor at the launch, Nigeria’s most populous city of about 22 million people plans that 20% to 30% of commuters will travel by water within two years.
“We are aware of the man hours and productivity that are lost every day due to vehicular traffic in Lagos state and are looking at ways to provide commuters with an easy and affordable way to get in and out of the city’s business districts,” said Lola Kassim, Uber’s general manager for West Africa, in a statement.
Quick simple steps to book your boat ride:
Pre- booking
- Click on t.uber.com/bookuberboat to reserve a seat on the boat, bookings need to be made 24hrs ahead
- Ensure it is your Uber signup details that is used to complete the booking
- You will get a confirmation email and Uber riders also get a 50% discount to take a ride to and from the jetty
On the day of the trip
- Take an UberX to your pick up Jetty (LASWA Boat Jetty, Falomo Ikoyi or Ikorodu Ferry Terminal). Quick tip – Arrive at the jetty 30mins before cruise time to settle in for your trip!
- Open your Uber App and select UberBOAT. Quick tip – Boat view will only be available at the Jetties
- Input either of the pickup and drop off points (LASWA Boat Jetty, Falomo Ikoyi or Ikorodu Ferry Terminal)
- A PIN will be generated which can be used to secure your spot on the boat
- Uber support staffers will be at the Jetties to help with Boat booking
Uber launched a boat service in Egypt in 2017 and recently in the Indian city of Mumbai and and along the Croatian coast
This will be the second company in recent times that has been attracted to the economic potential of the Lagos waterways. Just recently Gokada launched a boat service, Gboat, in conjunction with Lagos Boats.
Last month, Uber said it was set to introduce a new transportation option – UberBus – for customers in Lagos.
