Amidst the competitive market, Opay has shutdown its bus-hailing service- OBus operations in Lagos State, barely 3 months after its beta launch


The Opera-backed startup- Opay is reportedly suspending one of its services based in Lagos, Nigeria barely three months after its beta launch. The service which unlike the private car-hailing services functions as public transit in its own case, requiring the riders to ‘request for a ride’ on the general OPay app, although the app have been found in-active lately. At that, it doesn’t display active routes, QR-code, or OBus wallet balance anymore.

Now, unable to survive in the highly-pressured market– the public bus-hailing service is shutting down the business module until further notice. While OPay didn’t state specifically, the reason for shutting down the business module, unconfirmed sources are of the opinion that it is mainly because the business module was unsustainable.

On that note, the source emphasized on how officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Lagos chapter, and area boys have posed as an inevitable threat to the course of the business.

Ordinarily, this wouldn’t have been a problem, but for the branded buses used by the service which often calls the attention of the NURTW workers and area boys to the fact that it is a commercial vehicle.

Of course, that shouldn’t be an excuse in the first place, and as a result, OBus made well to always have a police officer in each bus, however, that module seems quite unsustainable considering the huge amount spent on security alone.

Aside from security maintenance, unconfirmed sources also informed that OBus spends a lot in the process of bus procurement, maintenance, and staff recruitment, which may have had huge operating costs and may not be maintainable over time.

While this is not a case of giving up for the OBus innitiative, OPay will most likely device a more sustainable model moving forward, and that could mean the “inclusion of interstate bus transit model” which seems like a much better alternative.

Meanwhile, OPay is still winning with other transport options including, its ride-hailing and tricycle-hailing services which are still very operational in Lagos and other states of Nigeria.

https://www.askifa.ng/opay-temporarily-suspends-obus-its-bus-hailing-service-in-lagos/?amp&__twitter_impression=true

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