July 2018

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MAX Go vs Gokada
As urbanization becomes rapid in African countries, technology has also become one of the key players in providing solutions
to long-standing problems and paving a way for new industries, jobs and a better quality of life. For a State like Lagos,
population explosion means more vehicles on the road, and also, a worsened traffic situation. This edition of BrandSpark
paces two tech-powered transportation companies working to alleviate the problem of traffic in Lagos.
- By Damilola Oyewusi
Transportation is arguably one of the toughest parts of living in
Lagos. With almost 20 million people shuttling to work or school,
the average daily commute for many is as long as three hours.
From private cars to public buses and taxis, gridlocks have become a
picture that quickly comes to mind at the mention of Lagos. To augment
these vehicles of transportation were the motorcycles, popularly called
Okada within the metropolis.
By virtue of the size of the vehicle, an Okada could meander its way
through gridlocks, cutting down travel time for passengers who are
usually trying to beat time and escape the stress of the regular traffic
jams. Unfortunately, a high record of road mishaps, including robbery
and avoidable accidents led to a ban on motorcycles in major parts of
the State. It did not help that many of the motorcycles were in poor
conditions and the riders had little training as to proper riding and
road sharing.
To solve this challenge, these tech startups have reproduced the car
hire model used by Uber and are working to provide an integrated
solution to the obvious and less overt problems of this mode of
transportation.
“
With almost 20 million people
shuttling to work or school, the
average daily commute for many
is as long as three hours.
“
MAX Go
MAX (Metro Africa Express) began their journey as a delivery company
for e-commerce businesses and restaurants. They launched the
MAX Go service in mid-2017 to transport people in a bid to alleviate
transportation headaches. To bypass the challenge of the government’s
ban on Motorcycles, the company only accepts the State approved
models - 200cc motorcycle and provides safety gears for both the
drivers and the passengers. Even more important is the screening
and training availed to riders before they are accepted into the ‘Max
Champions’ pool of drivers.
The company also allows motorized tricycles (kekes) on their network,
providing options for those who remain wary of riding on motorcycles.
To empower verified drivers who cannot afford the specified vehicles,
the company works with the Lagos State Employment Trust fund
(LSETF) to assist with funding.
The MAX Go website is detailed, functional and user-friendly. You can
check your price estimate directly on the platform before downloading
the app as a first time user.
While this service is definitely applauded and welcome, some
commercial users on the app have raised issues with pricing for delivery
services.
Gokada
Gokada is fairly new to the market, having launched in January this year
but have also begun making their mark in both Lagos mainland and
Island environs. While the team still have a lot of work to do on the userfriendliness
and functionality of the application itself, they seem to be
focused on getting drivers out on the road.
With similar business strategies to MAX Go, the company is providing a
rent-to-own plan and comprehensive training for their drivers. However,
they have honed in on providing transportation services to individuals
alone as against partnering with businesses for delivery services.
As any tech-based business soon realizes, the solution provided goes
beyond the intrigues of building an application that works well. Trust and
reliability are currencies for success in the business. Technology works
best when it is matched with or enhances good service. Availability of
vehicles is also an issue at the moment, but with plans like Gokada’s
rent-to-own and MAX Go’s partnership with LSETF, more motorcycles
on the road should ease up that challenge.
Despite the challenges of this teething-stage, MAX and Gokada seem
to have started on the right foot. It will be great to see the successes
they record in the coming years.
@thesparkng
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