At VivaTech’s innovation and technology fair, which will be held at the Porte de Versailles in Paris until 19 June, it is possible to test an application called Hoja. It allows you to order and board your taxi safely in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Africa has been innovating for a long time, especially in the design and development of smartphone applications that make life easier for people. This is the case in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which, like many African megalopolis, is facing serious problems with insecurity on board taxis.
Ensuring urban transport
Aggression, kidnappings and the fear of being robbed by fake taxi drivers are the daily lot of the 15 million citizens of the first French-speaking city in Africa due to urban mobility left in the hands of an abusive informal sector. situation, explains Ursula Ndombele, founder of the young Hoja shoot.
The mobile application that bears the name of his company is today considered to be of general benefit by the authorities in the country, by users and professionals in the sector. “I have already been confronted with this problem of aggression in taxis and two of my cousins. Kidnapped by a driver. This is why I decided to create the Hoja application. When I returned to France in 2018 with my partner Magali, I met two developers to make our idea a real concept to make the application a reality and develop the entire ecosystem around Hoja. Specifically, the user downloads Hoja Taxi from the Google PlayStore. With his mobile, he can either scan the QR code displayed on taxis that go through the streets or enter the vehicle number. He gets all the information about the driver or the condition of his car, Ursula Ndombele explains.
The car’s geolocation in real time
The creators of Hoja Taxi have always believed that it is not up to the passenger to pay for their safety. Downloading the app is therefore free. And to facilitate its use, a dedicated telecom and Internet card connection package is provided by the Orange company, a partner of the Hoja company.
The concept also appeals to companies or organizations that own vehicle fleets or people who own cars with drivers who subscribe to a paid subscription. “To encourage professionals who were initially reluctant to register in our database, we asked them to test the app by scanning the QR code on their own vehicle. And when they see their photo displayed as well as their first name, they consider it a “This system is ultimately a kind of digital education, a gateway to this world of opportunities offered by technologies today, by demonstrating the benefits they provide for individuals and professionals.”, argues Ursula Ndombele at the origin of Hoja.
The application is starting to spread in Africa and Hoja Taxi will soon start in Lagos in Nigeria or even in Dakar in Senegal. The ambition of the young company that was created in 2019 is to be present in all African megalopolis in the fight against transport uncertainty.
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