The need for regulation of Online Transport Services

The e-hailing or online transport business is a service providing platform that connects passengers to drivers to engage their services through an electronic application at a charge.

Its technology uses GPS tracking to keep an eye on the location of both the passenger and driver to receive real-time updates and track locations on a map.

The service was introduced in Ghana in 2016 with uber being the first to launch its operations in Accra then subsequently in Kumasi. Currently, there are about 15 online transport businesses on the Ghanaian market which includes Bolt, Uber, Yango, Swift-Wheels, Dropyn, Coco Ride, Black Ride among others.

Ghana’s e-hailing and online transport sector has experienced rapid growth since its inception becoming highly competitive and focusing on providing safe, quality, and affordable transportation experiences for both passengers and drivers.

The introduction of the e-hailing services in Ghana has indeed revolutionized and welcomed massive modernizations in the transport industry due to its safety, ease of use, affordability, convenience, driver quality, increased availability, transparency and most importantly job creation opportunities.

However, in recent times conversations have centered on the need for some regulation of the industry particularly surrounding issues of recruitment of drivers, car quality and the general safety of passengers.

The driving proficiency and experience of many of these drivers as well as the state of their vehicles has been an issue of major concern resulting in some recorded road accidents.

Speaking to a driver of the uber e-hailing service, Derrick, he disclosed that he had no training with the service providers when he started work but only took an Intelligence Quotient (IQ) test after filling the new driver form.

“I didn’t have to go to their office for training, I only took an online IQ test and filled a form with my personal details….they asked for my details and information about my car documents, my driver’s license, Ghana card. I just filled a form and waited for it to be verified then started driving after all my documents were okay” he said.

This situation, some say, is of concern as it leaves room for inconsistencies in drivers skill sets and can also endanger both drivers and passengers on the road.

Safety is another major issue in the sector. There have been calls to implement safety measures, such as driver background checks and in-person training for drivers to ensure professionalism and safety on the road.
Lastly e-hailing services have also been suspected of implementing surge pricing during peak hours which often leads to inflated fares at the expense of the passenger.

The call is for an urgent need to regulate the million cedi sector by government and stakeholders. The call is also for service providers to be held accountable for irregularities and gaps created from their operations. They are also expected to strive to ensure a professional and safe standard is reached in the e-transport industry.