UAE-based early stage, technology focused venture capital firm Shorooq Partners are the lead investors in the company/Courtesy
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 16 – Kenya’s long distance bus operations are set for disruption with the entry of online bus ticketing systems. Online marketplace ticketing service QuickBus has formally launched operations in the Kenyan market.
QuickBus says it is targeting Kenya’s long distance bus operators with routes to western Kenya and the coastal towns with a view to driving a new level of efficiency and quality of service.
The platform allows passengers to easily book bus tickets at a the click of a button or through their smartphone or a basic feature phone, from the convenience of their homes and offices.
QuickBus Founder and Chief Executive Humphrey Wrey says the platform allows customers to see reviews and select seats based on their preferences.
“When you book a bus you should know more than the price and the destination, you should also know more about the experience you’re going to have, because knowing if your 18-hour journey will be very uncomfortable or quite comfortable is valuable information. That was the genesis of the QuickBus idea,” Wrey explained.
Apart from booking tickets, the platform also has a customer rating system with a feedback-loop provided by user ratings giving passengers the power to hold bus companies accountable to their performance standards.
“Women can now choose to be seated next to other women on night buses, to create more security for female travellers. This will boost service and efficiency across the sector, bringing offline operators online and raising the standard of bus transportation in general, to the benefit of all passengers,” he added.
The company which has been operating for 10 years has also launched operations in Uganda and Angola
According to Wrey, “We’re working very closely with bus operators who are seeing exponential growth in tickets processed through our platform as each market increasingly gets accustomed to the convenience of booking bus tickets online and through the app.”
OuickBus has also secured partnerships in a further seven major markets across the continent and is aiming to cover most of the sub-Saharan Africa region in the next three years, serving a market of 800 million people.
UAE-based early stage, technology focused venture capital firm Shorooq Partners are the lead investors in the company.
“Having grown up and operated businesses in the region I have experienced firsthand that the opportunity in the long-distance mobility space in Africa is massive and having seen this segment disrupted in other emerging markets we were actively studying the East African market to see who was leading the way,” said Kunal Savjani Partner at Shorooq Partners.
The Sub- Saharan region has a total of US$24.2 billion spent on bus tickets.
