Uber offers free rides to polling stations for Persons with disabilities

Uber has partnered with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to ferry Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWDs) to and from their respective polling stations in Nairobi, Thika and Mombasa on August 8, 2017, free of charge.

Access and facilitation to polling stations by PWDs are key considerations. Stakeholders like @UPDK are supporting us realize this goal pic.twitter.com/333d3iVExd

— IEBC (@IEBCKenya) July 23, 2017

The technology company, which has been operating in the country since 2015, will also give all new and existing riders a KSh 200 discount to and from their polling stations on voting day in the cities that it is currently present in Kenya. These offers will apply between 6am and 6pm on Tuesday, 8 August 2017.

Teaming up with IEBC and the United Disabled Persons of Kenya(UDPK), Uber will provide a special code with two free rides to and from polling stations for all PLWD voters registered with IEBC in Nairobi, Thika and Mombasa.

The company will also give all riders a discount on voting day.  The offer will give each rider KES 200 off for one trip to a polling station and KES 200 off for one trip from the polling station. All new and existing Uber riders will be required to request an Uber ride, go to the promotions tab in the app enter the promo code VOTEKE2017 in the app’s promotion tab in order to enjoy the offer.

“Uber celebrates the cities we serve and one of the best ways to engage with our communities is to encourage riders and driver-partners to vote and we shall do this by providing information on the voting process and discounted rides for all riders in Nairobi, Thika and Mombasa” said General Manager for Uber in East Africa Loïc Amado, when he announced the partnership.

Uber has also set up an in-app notification reminding citizens to vote. On voting day, thousands of users of the Uber App in Nairobi, Thika and Mombasa will also receive a message reminding them to vote with a link to the IEBC site to help them find their polling station.

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Amado added: “With the ease of Uber’s service,  we hope to bring the ballot closer to riders    in Nairobi, Thika and Mombasa. Our mission is to support Kenyan voters in cities where we are present to make their mark by voting on August 8th 2017. Uber remains committed to providing safe, reliable and affordable transportation to all riders,” he added.

As part of the partnership, Uber will encourage driver-partners to distribute amongst riders, IEC (Information, Education and Communication) materials in their vehicles. These Voter education Materials will be available at the Uber GLH (Green Light Hubs) for driver-partners who are interested in distributing them.  

Aside from Kenya, Uber has in the recent past offered similar discounts to riders on elections day in South Africa and in the UK.