With the risk of contracting the deadly coronavirus constantly looming the Kenyan airspace,  2020 is undeniably the year of deliveries. To say the least, companies like Bolt, Uber and Glovo have been highly benefiting from this pandemic. However, we cannot say the same for SafeBoda.

Recently, there have been complaints of riders misbehaving. For instance, you can order a SafeBoda, the rider accepts your ride but does not pick your calls. Others pick, accept, come to you and bargain for a different price not stated in the app. On an off day, others have had riders disappear with their delivery goods entirely.

It has been a roller coaster ride for the company, the riders and the clients and it looks like today is the day they take a step back.

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This was a hard decision for us to make but we are still dedicated to empowering communities. Thank you for being a part of the #NduthiGang. We love you? pic.twitter.com/AsuB5j6tWn

— SafeBoda Kenya (@SafeBoda_Kenya) November 16, 2020

SafeBoda Pauses Indefinitely

The official announcement reads,

SafeBoda has made a very difficult decision to pause Rides and Send services from today, the 27th of November 2020. 

It’s safe to say that this is a hard but right decision. The riders have been complaining for a while now with most of them resorting to taking the aggression to the clients.

“With prices slashed by over 40 per cent you can now get around Nairobi with SafeBoda for as little as 60 bob!!” These prices do not sit well with the riders thus the unfortunate decision from the company.

To put it into perspective,

“Normally a trip from Westlands to Kilimani is around  KES 150-200 but the app has been charging the customers between KES 80-100,” says a Safeboda rider in Westlands. Other taxi-hailing apps such as Uber and Bolt (formerly Taxify) are charging between KES 190- 250 for the same route.”

The pressure must have got to the team. With riders asking for more money and clients complaining over poor service, the balance just isn’t sitting with SafeBoda. For now,

Hello if you will stillhave your wallet balance by 26th on 27th the amount will be reversed. But if you wish to have the balance before then kindly share your number and we will initiate reversal

— SafeBoda Kenya (@SafeBoda_Kenya) November 16, 2020

Today, they will reverse all the credits you have straight to your M-Pesa but less the transaction fees.