By Benson Daniel
Lagos is heading into one of its busiest travel periods of the year, and LagRide is adding 400 vehicles to its network in preparation for the expected surge in movement.
The ride hailing platform has begun rolling out the new vehicles across the state and plans to bring more than 1,000 additional Captains onto its platform between now and December.
The expansion comes as businesses, tourists, shoppers, event organisers and residents prepare for the September to December period, when movement around Lagos typically picks up sharply.
LagRide expects to facilitate more than 200,000 rides during the Ember Months, as increased business activity, entertainment, tourism, airport traffic and end of year events put additional pressure on the city’s already busy transport system.
The first phase of the deployment was flagged off at the company’s centre in Lagos, with more than 100 newly inducted Captains driving out in the new vehicles.
LagRide currently has more than 2,000 vehicles operating across Lagos. The latest addition will therefore push its available fleet further as the company attempts to reduce waiting times and improve coverage during the high demand period.
Executive Director of LagRide Nigeria, Mildred Ekanem, said the company was expanding from an existing position of strength rather than starting from scratch.
She said the 400 vehicles represented the immediate expansion, while the planned mobilisation of more than 1,000 additional Captains would continue through December.
The company is also extending its reach into areas including FESTAC, Ikorodu and Ajah, while increasing the number of Captains serving locations where it already operates.
That wider coverage could prove important during the Ember Months, when congestion and rising demand can make getting around Lagos particularly difficult.
For businesses, the transport challenge is not limited to getting customers from one location to another. Employees need to move between workplaces and meetings, suppliers need access to markets, and service providers often have to make several trips across the city in a single day.
A more readily available ride hailing network could therefore provide some relief for businesses that depend on predictable movement, particularly during the end of year rush.
LagRide is also using the expansion to widen participation in its Drive to Own programme. Under the scheme, Captains begin with a 90 day rental period before becoming eligible to move towards vehicle ownership, subject to performance requirements.
The company sees the model as a way of combining transport capacity with opportunities for drivers to build a pathway towards owning the vehicles they operate.
Chairman of LagRide, Chief Diana Chen, said the expansion was intended to support both Lagos’ transportation system and its wider tourism and business ecosystem.
The company has also urged the newly inducted Captains to maintain professional standards as demand increases.
That emphasis will become increasingly important as more vehicles enter the network. Adding cars can improve availability, but the experience passengers receive will ultimately determine whether the additional capacity translates into stronger customer confidence.
LagRide is backing the expansion with community activations and a 24 hour customer service centre that handles complaints, enquiries and issues such as property left behind in vehicles.
Maintenance support is also being provided through the infrastructure of CIG Group and GAC Motor, with service centres available across Lagos to reduce vehicle downtime.
For a city preparing for months of heavier traffic, more social activity and increased visitor numbers, the test will be whether the additional vehicles can make a noticeable difference when demand peaks.
LagRide is betting that putting more cars and drivers on the road before the rush begins will give passengers fewer reasons to wait.
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