Opera founded startup OPay has launched a tricycle hailing service OTrike in Aba just months after it launched its ORide services in Ibadan. The new OTrike service offers an amazing discount that allows users in Aba pay just 20 Naira for every trip that costs less than 400 Naira for the month of August.
OPay’s latest launch OTrike represents the company’s continuous technology drive into the Nigerian ride-hailing market. Revealing the new service, ORide’s official twitter page said that Aba residents now have the opportunity to take affordable rides to anywhere in the city.
Similar to ORide, OTrike is also accessible via the OPay app – a multipurpose app on Android and iOS, with features that simplify food order and delivery, utility bills payment, cash access and ride-hailing.
With its launch in Aba, OTrike is available to ferry any user of the OPay app to any destination within the city. From Brass to Ariaria and even to Enyimba. However, for private trips, a fee of N50 is charged.
Nigerians reaction to the launch of OTrike
Reacting to the launch of OTrike, Twitter user Ope Awobotu expresses his surprise at the speed with which OPay is expanding.
Awobotu wasn’t the only one heaping praises on OPay. Commenter Vickieyyy1794 applauded the person behind OPay.
Another Nigerian, Fashola-Oba Ashi a tech enthusiast reacted differently questioning why Nigerians wouldn’t take the Chinese initiative and invest in Nigerian tech companies.
However, some concerns were raised. Commenters questioned the viability of roads in Aba for a venture like this.
What the OTrike launch means to Tricycle operators in Aba
In Lagos and Ibadan, ORide’s discounted rides drew in lots of users. For an industrial city like Aba, the launch of OTrike could mean serious competition for independent tricycle operators.
However, for a city with an industry-driven population of 2,434,265, the market for those that patronise keke operators is presumably large enough to fit OTrike.
Also, the inventions and innovations of youths in Aba can’t be ignored. In August 2018, an electric tricycle was made in Aba. This invention drew particular attention to the Tricycle market. One can imagine what the business potential of OPay partnering with local industry in Aba is.
Future expansion plans
ORide has offered a solution to a myriad of transport challenges in Lagos and Ibadan since its launch. With its launch of OTrike in Aba, some Nigerians like Awesome Osisindu are wondering when the leisure of ride-hailing will expand into their location.
ORide in reply to Osisindu, assured him that the company was already working on plans to expand into other states.
OPay’s expansion into the ride-hailing market has been spontaneous, largely due to the large investments raised from its deep-pocket investors.
Although other ride-hailing companies like Bolt are expanding, these developments show that OPay has a good understanding of the ride-hailing market and may outpace their competitors.
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