BasiGo Drives Kenya Toward a Cleaner Public Transport Future

In Africa, public transportation is dominated by minibuses, auto-rickshaws, and motorcycles. The buses, called matatus in Kenya and dala dalas in Tanzania, are by far the most common form of transportation. They are usually privately owned, operate without strict regulation, and are often cheaper to ride than formal buses or taxis. They also make more frequent stops based on passenger demand, which is part of their appeal.

Kenya’s matatusare a major part of the country’s culture, especially in the capital city of Nairobi. They are painted with loud graffiti and portraits of people or movie characters. Some matatus are tricked out with neon lights, TV screens, and even hydraulic suspensions.

Despite their popularity, these buses, usually diesel-powered and fuel-inefficient, produce significant carbon emissions and contribute to air pollution, especially in densely populated cities like Nairobi. Across Africa, diesel-powered buses emit an estimated 1 gigatonne of CO² every year.

BasiGo is a Nairobi-based e-mobility startup founded in 2021 that is aiming to overhaul public transport in Africa with electric buses. The company offers electric buses alongside charging and maintenance services to bus operators on a pay-as-you-drive (PAYD) leasing model.

The company says it is on a mission to make Africa the global leader in affordable, low-carbon public transport. It currently has 110 buses in operation across East Africa and claims to have contributed to 2,9141 tonnes of avoided CO² emissions.

In an interview with Richard Brubaker, CEO Jit Bhattcharaya, says he was inspired to start the company during the pandemic lockdown. For a period, the Kenyan government suspended the operation of buses and all passenger transport in Nairobi and other major cities. After a few days, air quality and visibility improved, Bhattcharaya reports, to the point that people could see the towering Mount Kenya from a distance of 350 km away. It motivated him to bring electric vehicles to Kenya’s public transport sector.

Electric buses are cleaner and smoother to drive, and they also cost less to maintain. But, they are more expensive to purchase and can cost two to four times the amount of diesel buses. BasiGo’s key innovation is a pay-as-you-drive (PAYD) model — a subscription-based plan where drivers make an initial deposit and then pay a daily fee based on kilometers driven, which covers battery leasing, charging, maintenance, as well as vehicle insurance.

The company’s mission to electrify Kenya’s public transport requires an ample number of charging depots. It currently has nine hubs, but it needs many more to meet its milestone of 1,000 electric vehicles on Kenyan roads by 2027.

BasiGo has begun operations in Rwanda and is interested in expanding to other African countries. The African EV revolution could very well begin with public transport.