By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigerian bus-hailing app, Plentywaka, has launched WakaCab, a new car-hailing service with fully-trained drivers in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
Building on the success of Plentywaka’s bus-hailing service, WakaCab can be booked for personal and shared rides on the app.
For commuters in Asaba, and soon in Warri, the launch of WakaCab eradicates the need to locate a taxi, making commuting much easier.
The startup raised $300,000 in pre-seed expansion funding in August and has now started that process by moving to tackle Southern Nigeria’s limited transport links by breaking into the taxi-hailing space.
Speaking on the new development, Plentywaka’s president and co-founder, Mr Johnny Enagwolor, stated that, “Expanding the Plentywaka brand into Delta State with a car-hailing service, after launching in 2019, is a testament to our success and the importance of staying true to the vision.
“But it also shows our commitment to solving the issues of transport in Nigeria and that does not necessarily mean a one size fits all approach to each state.
“We recognised that there was a large shortfall in private car and technology-driven services compared to the other states we operate in, therefore the proposition had to be different for Asaba and Warri.”
Plentywaka launched its services in the second half of last year and since then, it has built a platform of over 40,000 customers with a substantial growth since the beginning of 2020. It also recently launched a business to consumers (B2C) logistics platform.
As part of the company’s launch into Delta State, Plentywaka will also introduce its Plentywaka Vehicle Partnership (PVP) scheme, which allows users to register their vehicles on the Plentywaka app and earn over income.
Similar to the Uber-style model, users also have the opportunity to earn an income as drivers on Plentywaka’s PVP scheme; providing they pass the company’s official training scheme and vehicle inspection.
This shows the company’s growth this year as it recently commenced operations in Abuja in July 2020, six months after it hit a milestone of completing 100,000 rides in its base market, Lagos.
A subsidiary of EMFATO, the holding company of agritech startup, Farmcrowdy and Crowdyvest, PlentyWaka is a bus hailing platform which allows users to schedule their rides from their preferred locations.
The platform launched in September 2019, promising users assurance of safety, comfort and convenience while transporting them to their destination.
Aduragbemi Omiyale 
Modupe Gbadeyanka