By Nana Appiah Acquaye, Accra, Ghana
Uber, a technology company that connects riders and drivers at the touch of a button, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Ghana’s Ministry of Transport at a brief ceremony help at the plush Tang Hotel in Accra.
Available in 467 cities across 72 countries, Uber’s mission is to change the way citizens of the world move, work and live. It aspires to transform the way people connect with their communities and to bring reliability, convenience and opportunity to transport systems.
The Minister of Transport Hon. Fiifi Kwetey, tasked Uber to as matter of urgency conduct a comprehensive and feasibility study on Accra’s urban transport system and the role of taxi operations in urban transportation in the country.
Hon. Kwettey commended Uber for adding Accra to their list of cities around the globe for their services and hoped that their business in Accra will soon grow to cover other cities including Kumasi and Takoradi.
The US Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Robert Porter Jackson, who was present to witness the occasion, acknowledged the impact of Uber services in countries that it currently operates in and trust that Uber will continues to place premium on its services so as to meet the demands of the urban customer.
Accra has been named as the next city to join Uber’s booming network in Africa. The economically vibrant hub is the first city in Ghana to receive the service. With a thriving urban population, Accra’s 2.27 million people will have access to efficient transport through the ride-sharing platform. Uber is excited to explore the potential of this dynamic city.
Uber has proven popular across the world’s cities for its provision of affordable, safe and reliable transport. Through an easy-to-use platform, it connects drivers with riders in real time, at the touch of a button. With over 4 million people using the streets in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA), there is a clear demand for Uber’s services. The World Bank reports that since 2014, mobile phone penetration exceeded 100% in Ghana, compared to 1% in 2000. The people of Ghana also benefit from increasing availability of high-speed Internet, creating the perfect environment for information technology-enabled services such as Uber.
The General Manager for Uber Sub-Saharan Africa, Alon Lits, expressed Uber’s gratitude to the Ghanaian government and its people for welcoming Uber services into the country and promised to offer premium services to customers.
He said Uber is in Ghana to stay and that its platform offers great opportunities to all Ghanaians who want to start their own business.
