Uber launches in Accra

Accra becomes 13^th African city in Uber network.

The taxi hailing mobile app Uber has launched in Accra, becoming the 13^th African city in which the San Francisco-based company operates.

Uber's arrival in Ghana follows an agreement with the transport ministry over regulatory framework governing ride sharing technology, regulating its use by drivers as well as companies that use it to source business.

The launch in the Ghanaian capital was attended by the country's transport minister Fifi Kwetey and the US ambassador to Ghana, Robert Porter Jackson.

Uber's base fare in Accra is GHS 1.70 plus GHS 1.30 per km and GHS 19 pesewas per minute. The minimum fare is GHS 5 and users will be charged GHS 5 for cancelling a booking.

Uber recently introduced its low-cost services in Ugandan capital Kampala and Tanzania's commerical capital Dar es Salaam. Accra is the 467^th city to join Uber's global network and the company is currently one of the fastest growing in the world.

However the Californian firm also faces regular protests from taxi companies around the world over claims that its service is unfair, illegal, and taking business from regular cabbies.