“Ghanaians spend a lot of time stuck in traffic. Most of us understand just how frustrating that can be, but my new initiative in Ghana is making the gridlock just a little more bearable.”

These were the words of a Ghana-based Nigerian businessman, Victor Odepoju, who has kick start an internet-enabled-taxi cab business in Ghana’s capital, Accra.

According to Victor the idea to run a wifi-enabled-taxi cab business was to give the taxi cab business in Ghana a new facelift and keep passengers connected to the internet even as they spend several hours in traffic.

Explaining how he conceived the innovative idea to The al-hAJJ in an exclusive interview, Mr Adepoju noted “I have listen to folks complained about leaving their valuables in anonymous taxis and whenever they called the drivers insults them so I thought about it and decided to do something that will make the customers feel secure and comfortable”.

He added that “…also charges by taxis these days are quite unbearable so I have decided to make my services affordable. Then looking at the traffic in town; seeing passengers bored in the taxis I decided to add free wifi in addition to refreshment.”

The taxi-cab driver stated that he commenced business in Ghana with a Ford Fist 2012 model in June, but one of his customers “was impressed with my idea and decided to add one of his car to it for the same business. So now we have two cars we are using as taxis and both are wifi-enabled.”

“I was at Honey Suckle, a restaurant at Osu, picking clients and a man spotted the cab and he approached me…so he said he likes what I am doing that he had a car in his compound that he is not using. So he decided to invest it. I beg him to paint it yellow because that is how I painted the Ford I am using and he agreed,” he explained.

Giving insight into how he treats his customers, Mr Adepoju said “I added the free wifi so that when there is traffic customers can browse and not get bored. I also allow customers to choose their choice of music. I have a complimentary card which bears the wifi name and password at the back. I got the idea of adding the password to the business card because when I am driving customers ask me and distract my driving focus so I decided to give them card when they are on board.”

“Currently I use surfline. So when you're on board I ask you, please sir, do you care for free wifi to browse? I beg customers not to download and so far they have complied. I am using surfline but busy 4 G approached me recently that they want to take over. They promised to give us the wifi while they put a sticker on our cabs but we are yet to conclude that contract,” he explained.

Unlike the high charges of other taxi cabs in the capital, Mr Adepoju, who said he had to work as security officer “watchman” for several years to save money for his cab business, said his charges are affordable such that he accepts as low as GHC10 irrespective of the distant.

“When I meet you as a customer and I charge you, for instance, for GHC20 and you tell me you can pay GHC10 I don't ignore you I pick you. And this practice has really helped me because they keep recommending me to other customers. Just two days ago I drove all the way from Spintex to Dansoman to pick a tertiary student back to Accra mall. She gave me GHC20. And now she has recommended me to two people who pays better,” he noted.

Despite his affordable charges, Mr Adepoju who holds a Bachelor of Theology degree, said “business is booming to the extent that we have registered a company, BFCABSERVICE, and we also have a website were customers could log on and book for our services online. Last month I save GHC2000 and I am hoping to buy a new Ford by the end of the year because our client base is gradually expanding.”




http://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Taxis-go-Hi-tech-455122

Great great!!!

That's what I call power of a healthy mind.

Life is good with LG ELECTRONICS

Very good

Let me check the names.....Oooh, not surprised at all. The Amala eating, egunfe chewing, emu and oguro sipping tribe. Awa omo Oodua

Wow! This is great.
I'll try this and see how far it helps....

Wow... great innovation. Am I ftc?

Where's Name CHECKERS?

amokeme:
Wow! This is great.
I'll try this and see how far it helps....

Guess u r in ghana

Wen u try, do share ur experience


Btw nyc outfit

Nice one

saasala:
Very good

Let me check the names.....Oooh, the Amala eating, egunfe chewing, emu and oguro sipping tribe.

Please don't ban me.... But this guy is foolish

This is great buy why not move this your business to Nigeria now?

K

This is great but why not move this your business to Nigeria now?

Not a thread for Ugandans sha

Nice one my nigga

Men dey think.
some wan fu** Tinubu wife.

This is good for the image of Nigeria especially in the diaspora !!!!

.

kennsville:
Wow... great innovation. Am I ftc?

Yes

saasala:
Very good

Let me check the names.....Oooh, the Amala eating, egunfe chewing, emu and oguro sipping tribe.

You need urgent mental rehabilitation.

Not new nau! Some Kenyan taxis will give you the code to their wifi modem...

Innovative though! Shows that you must constantly innovate in order to be successful in business!

Great

let me join the tribal....

Yorubas are busy bettering lives and bringing positivity to their country and the people around them abroad, while a certain other tribe is well known for ruining lives abroad through their drug trafficking and other illegal activities/crimes. So sad, Smh!
I no mention names o...

Wao what a creative mind

Some buses in Nairobi have Wi-fi enabled and have the password pasted for the passengers to see (just like the one in the picture) but who get time for that! Some are like mobile clubs, pimped with heavy sound system and flat screens to watch musicals. The more pimped the bus is, the more passengers it attracts!

GOOD ONE JOOOOR

Chai na now see the Name ooooh


Reporting from Togo Branch
Yoruba people making Nigeria proud since the day of John the baptist

If na our Brodas from other side of River now
Will know the news

Try this is in naija and you will see artificially made "hold up". Guys go download movies tire

We are still battling with immunity clause in nigeria