Lagos with a stunning human population estimated at 21 million in 2016, which makes it the largest city in Africa is a center of excellence, and that is good for development. But for the 21 million residents of Lagos, how can they combat the heavy traffic flow and scale through the hustle and bustle of this great city? Learn why Bike hailing services are the long term choice of transportation in this great city.
This is Lagos! Ah, that’s the big signpost you see when you enter Lagos. For an onlooker they might not understand what that phrase means. But for the 21 million Lagosians, they sure know the deeper meaning of that phrase “This is Lagos.”
To stay in a city like Lagos, you must be hardworking and that means you’ll be moving from one location to another. That’s where the trouble begins. You have to work, pay bills, stay healthy while staying alive and mentally okay. Transportation in Lagos is by four ways: road, water, rail and air.
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Yes, it’s by four ways; Lagos is very large. The most common forms of public transport in Lagos include taxis, buses and motorbike taxis, known locally as okadas. All of these forms of transport are generally unsafe and unreliable due to poorly maintained vehicles and reckless drivers (that’s according to Expactarrivals).
Now depending on your circumstance, you might have a car or even use a BRT, anything that takes you to your destination. But then, the problem lies in one problem, yes the Lagos Lock-down. Yes, the Traffic, that has never been de-congested for ages!
During my recent visit to Lagos, I had to see the reality that majority of Lagosians face as they go about their daily activities everyday. Now, let’s take a dive into the world of Bike Hailing.
Bike Hailing Overview
A bike hailing service is service offered to customers by the operators through a service medium like an app, or website. This is the same of Uber, Bolt and other e-Hailing services. The only difference is that you are not hailing a car but a motorcycle. Customers can order a motorbike ride through the company’s website, or by using the company’s geo-location based mobile app. This service is provided by various operators in the industry. They include Max.ng, Gokada, Oride, etc.
The bike hailing service came about due to marginal cost in operation. It has also been reported that the bike hailing service is also preferred by customers because of its accessibility.
Regardless, there is a world of limitless opportunities in the bike hailing business.
Why Bike Hailing Remains Unbeaten
At most parts of Lagos, bike hailing remains unbeaten. Why? Take a look at the population of Lagos, it’s definitely above 21 million inhabitants. When you take a close comparison with bike hailing services against the traditional cab hailing, you’ll spot a huge difference. The bike hailing services come a bit cheaper for commuters, this is because most Lagosians are on a budget so they cut their coat according to their size. Imagine someone who is earning 30,000 NGN in Lagos per month, use his salary to book services such as Uber? We all know what is going to happen.
Another reason why the bike hailing service will remain unbeaten in Lagos is their mobility. Think of that moment you’re stuck in traffic and the traffic is so bad to the extent that for the past 3 hours no car has moved. Looking across your window, you see bike hailing operatives such as Max.ng, Gokada, etc scaling through the traffic like there is no traffic. Oh, I get that feeling of being angry and wishing to convert your car to a bike to beat the merciless traffic.
Everyday, as one person leaves Lagos to another city, dozens come into Lagos. So you can see that the population of Lagos can accommodate all – the big e-hailing goons and beyond. Why? There are numerous cars on the road: the more the cars, the higher the traffic. And the higher the cars, the more the bikes get more patronizing. Why? No one loves to be stuck in traffic.
Even the CEO Ukaegbu Great (Jnr) of Keanyi, the Nigerian eCommerce place for locally produced products can tell you that the Future of transport in Lagos is the Bike Hailing services. Flora Mbeledeogu of Gova Designs will still tell you to beat Lagos traffic the street way.
To be honest, things will normalize when government does the needful to scale the Train Transport system. In the meanwhile, Prof. Ndubuisi Ekekwe recently launched Vetifly, a ride hailing for helicopters; you should check them out now!
Featured image: A woman hailing a Gokoda Bike Operative. Image Courtesy of Gokada