Ridesharing apps, or e-taxis as people know them, are growing exponentially fast in Nigeria and many other parts of the world. They’re a new concept in a world that almost everyone said was going to fail, only to end up becoming billion dollar companies in the process.
Some well-known examples in Nigeria are Uber, Taxify, OgaTaxi, and a host of others whom more people now use to move around their cities to wherever they want to go to.
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But First, What Are Ridesharing Apps?
Ridesharing apps are mobile applications that allow a user to book a taxi from wherever they are with a few clicks on the app.
What Makes Ridesharing Apps Special?
The most popular ridesaring apps ensure that whenever you book a taxi from their app, a great looking car with no branding on any part of it would pull up to your location within a span of 5 to 10 minutes to take you to your destination. These cars are usually fancy and owned by people who registered their vehicles on the ridesharing platform.
Two ride-sharing apps that have taken Nigeria by storm and have got a lot of people signing up their vehicles on them are Uber and Taxify.
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How To Make Money From Ridesharing Apps
There are three ways to make money from ridesharing apps. These methods are distinct but related because every part works together. They are:
1). Register Your Car As A Partner:
If you own a vehicle that gets parked most of the time, you could as well register it on ridesharing platforms like Uber and Taxify. When you do this, you’d be asked to select from a pool of drivers whom will try to convince you they’re the best individuals to drive your car. In the process of negotiations, you and a driver would come to an agreement and have the ridesharing company pair the driver to you.
Before pairing, a couple of factors go into choosing the right driver-partner.
a). Price: Depending on the fuel consumption rate of your car, its make, year of manufacture, and more, you could earn anywhere from 35,000 Naira to 45,000 Naira weekly, which the driver is expected to pay constantly to you.
b). Driver’s Background: Having had two cars on a ridesharing platform, knowing how critical it is to check the driver’s background to the last pain-point came at a huge cost to me.
You must research the driver completely. Know where he leaves, where he worships, and more. Preferably, pick a young married driver with kids that his family lives in the same state as you and visit his home to verify. This way he’s conscious that he has a young family to take care of, and his element of youth will drive him to deliver.
Also ensure you choose a driver that has been driving in the system already, not just a brand new driver. New drivers will cost you money and time. Most often than not, you’d spend all your income weekly on repairs with them.
Ensure the driver is made to sign a contract and also brings two sureties that work in comfortable verifiable locations.
2). Register As A Driver:
When you register as a driver, you go in search of a partner who registered his car, and then strike an agreement with them in terms of payments and more. Based on how you’re able to work, cover the cost of fuel, and more, you would get to keep whatever is left at the end of every week.
3). Affiliate Program:
Uber, for instance, offers a cash reward for every successful referral. Since the terms of the referral are not stable, they could sometimes offer 20,000 Naira or 40,000 Naira for every successful referral you bring in.
At 20,000 Naira, if you get 10 people to sign up on their ride-sharing platform, you’d earn 200,000 Naira which would be automatically credited to your account without the need to visit their office for anything.
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So How Do You Register On A Ridesharing Platform?
Step One: Visit Their Website
Depending on which ridesharing platform you’d be going with, the first step is to visit their website and sign up as either a partner or a driver.
Step Two: Go For Inspection
After the sign-up process, you’d be expected to take your car in for an inspection, or if you’re signing up as a driver, you’d be expected to come in for a course and an exam which you must pass.
Step Three: Get A Partner
If you’re a car owner, you’d need to partner up with an accredited driver of the ridesharing platform, pair yourselves at their office or online, and do your due diligence on each other before committing to a transaction.
Step Four: Start Getting Paid
After getting a driver-partner, you’d need to ensure he abides to the rules of the platform, works also by your own rules, and in the end is able to pay you what you’re due. From experience, if the driver defaults on one payment, he will never be able to maintain any other consistent payment.
The moment a driver defaults, take whatever csh he offers you and give him one more week. If he defaults again, find another driver.
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To Sum It Up
As a car owner, you can earn up to 35,000 to 45,000 Naira weekly on a ridesharing platform, but ensuring you have the right driver is the key to your success or failure. Before you take a plunge with any driver, investigate everything you can about him, find out where and who he lives with, and ensure you monitor him extra closely.
The driver you go with is ultimately the major determinant of everything. With the right driver, your business will succeed.
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What are your thoughts on how to make money from a ridesharing apps? Let me know by leaving a comment below.
Great article there! just wanted to ask. can the owner of a car in this e taxi platform use an electronic payment medium, rather than waiting for the driver to remit the #35k or #40k? Say, the customer pays directly into the account using a POS device.
Hi David,
The payment rules are managed by the company.
So its what the customer selects that the customer will pay with.
Thank you for asking.
hmm…Interesting. But as a single young man who does not have a car now and just 11 months old in Port Harcourt and still with a drivers permit, how do I make money from referrals or do I need to register as a Driver? I know a few route because i have been driving my uncle’s car for about 3 months now. Also do you think I should just signup as a driver in Delta where I grew up? Just weighing the awareness and pay
Hi Bobnathan,
You can register as a driver then.
Most ridesharing apps are only functional in Lagos and Abuja.
I’d advise working from these locations.
Okay… thanks
You’re welcome, Bobnathan.
Sir I need step by step guide on how to start planting of palmoil and production process and buyer both local and abroad
Hi Abiola,
When we have an article on that published, we’ll do well to let everyone know.
Thank you.
Ride sharing look a good transport business that one can venture into and make cool money all things been equal.
I have Hyundai accent car just parked. How money it generate for me weekly and are required to partner as a car owner with Uber or Taxify?
Hi Lawrence,
Your car can fetch you 40,000 Naira weekly with the right driver.
I suggest you visit the nearest Uber or Taxify office to explore your options.
Thank you for asking.
Please can you the location their office or how I can contact them without going there.
Hi Lawrence,
Please visit their individual websites to locate their office locations.
Is it possible for the owner of the vehicle to drive his own vehicle without requiring an uber driver? This is to avoid stories from drivers please.
Yes you can, Charles.
This way you control the income and can earn between 50,000 to 60,000 Naira weekly.
Thank you for asking.
I’ve always read your articles without commenting but I really need to commend your work. You’re a blessing to this generation. Thanks for your work.
Thank you for the kind words and for being a reader, Josh.
I truly do appreciate them.
Do have a great time!
What if person has interest on being a driver but doesn’t know how to drive at the moment, will he be taught on how to drive?
Hi Oguni,
You need to know how to drive before you apply.
Thank you for asking.
Indeed this is nice. May God bless you the more.
Thank you for the kind words Aluma.
God bless you too.
nice write up there. @ abiola, if u really need info regarding oil palm plantations, field maintenance, harvesting, processing and sales you can contact me on 08058744489 thanks for being there
I’ve always enjoyed your articles. Are this services available in Kaduna?
Umar,
The ridesharing services are mainly only available in Lagos and Abuja for now.
But you can visit their websites to learn more.
Thank you for asking.
Can a person who owns a car be his own driver at the same time without hiring a driver?
Yes you can, Charles.
I have a car and can drive but don’t know all the nook and corners of abuja very well. I’m not very familiar with roads in the FCT
Hi Charles,
The ridesharing apps usually have a map to guide you.
Thank you for asking.
Hi Stan, I have a Mitsubishi lancer 2002 model, do think it can be use to apply for the ridesharing services.
Thanks for your enlightenment.
Hi Adedayo,
Please contact their customer service lines.
Thank you.
Can i register as a driver and also register my car at the same time?
Yes you can, Tony.
Hi, am enjoying your guidelines please i wanna know more about online social media networking
Hi Andrew,
You can use the search box on the website to search out those articles.
Thank you for asking.
Hi, please what are the types or brands of cars that best prefered by Uber or taxify. I intend to buy a car for this purpose but want to be sure of the type of car that is most preferred. I don’t want to end up getting the wrong vehicle. Thank you
Hi Charles,
I’d advise you reachout to their customer service lines.
But from experience, any vehicle from 2006 is acceptable.
Hello am darlington I have a Lexus and I want to be the driver how do you think I can be earning in a week
If I may borrow from your well of knowledge, I’d like to know how these ride sharing companies make their money, is there a stipulated amount these drivers or partners pay to the companies? Do they have a cut in every pickup?
Hi Nonso,
Yes, they charge a certain percentage for each trip.
Am a good driver for 6years now with my current driving license but I moved into Lagos just 3,months ago can I be an uber driver since I don’t know all the routes very well
Hi Stano,
You can be a driver for any ridesharing platform.
You can also google whichever ridesharing platform you want to drive for and have access to their website.
Thank you.
Good day, how much do you think I can make on a daily basis if I register and drive my car on taxify (I mean take home income after expenses).
Secondly, is it wise for someone to resign and take up this business on full time
Great article as always. Being in the business of ride sharing yourself, can you find me a good Driver for Abuja when I am ready?
Thanks.
hello stan
I own a car, but i’m thinking of myself been the driver.
Coz I’ve had it in mind for a very long time, please what do you advice??
You’d make more money as the driver, Phinehas.
Hi
I have a corolla 2010,and I stay a little outside of the city. Hope staying far won’t make it difficult to get customers
How do i become a referrer?