The average Nigerian finds the status quo of road transportation in the country tolerable if not unpleasant and often complains of the poor service rendered by intercity motor parks.
One such Nigerian is Folarin Olulana, the founder of two sister travel tech startups, T40 and Intercity.
Folarin Olulana recalls one of the series of events that stood out for him, “I had been waiting in one of the buses in the NURTW motor park in Port Harcourt for hours to fill up so we could start the trip.
To my utmost devastation, they announced they could no longer travel. Just like that, I ended up wasting the whole day.
What if it were for an appointment or important interview?”
Although this incident, like many others, made Folarin recognize a need for innovation within the intercity road transport sector, there were little to no resources for a travel tech startup at the time.
In 2018, seeing how much had not changed, Folarin finally leaped to start with the available resources.
Thus, T40 came to be. “Technology is the key to unlocking more revenue, business opportunities, and improving the quality of service rendered by transport companies,” he continued.
“Digitize the bulk of your business operations, and you will have ample resources and time to focus on your core operations. That is what T40 aims to do across Africa.”
Folarin Olulana has always had a flair for using innovative ways and technology to challenge the status quo.
He initially started learning computer engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife but later finished his undergraduate studies in Ukraine with a Bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications Systems and Network.
But with this technological innovation came challenges.
“Most transport companies here in Nigeria are not open to using technology to automate their operations. They do not see a need per se,” he lamented.
Along the line, Folarin realized making a technological solution for the service providers alone was not going to cut it. In 2020, the sister Traveltech startup, Intercity, was founded.
“We realized that poor customer service still remained. Even though we can not control how transport companies operate, we wanted to provide a feedback channel between the companies and the users. That is why Intercity is so customer-centric.
The consumers can read and write reviews, good or bad.”
The journey so far
T40 started with online and offline market research to gauge how viable a product it would be.
“My team and I went to the streets and social media to ask the consumers, feeling the brunt of the poor transport service, what their frustrations were and if our innovation was the breath of fresh air they needed.”
Then we launched T40. In one of the usual experimental phases of the tech startup, Folarin narrated how they experimented with running a transport company of their own with a bus.
“Doing a test run of the regular business operations of these transport companies gave us first-hand experience and also a much-needed knowledge on the untapped business opportunities.”
Earlier this year. In July, T40 won a cash prize of ₦1 million as the second runner-up in the UnionX innovation challenge organized by the Union Bank of Nigeria.
A few months later, they got the backing of LabEight Africa and Greentec Capital partners, two foreign brands
heavily invested in African innovation.
So far, T40 has partnered with over 40 intercity transport and logistics companies, and processed over 6,000 bookings in 2021.
How T40 is improving road transportation service in Nigeria
T40 offers two types of service to intercity transport companies in Nigeria. Customer support and software as a service (SaaS) and comes in three ways.
One, they build the software, both the website and mobile application for the companies.
Two, in situations where the companies lack the technical expertise or resources, T40 manages their software and inventory by partnering with them.
Lastly, with the recently launched T40 Point-of-sale (PoS) device, intercity transport companies can digitize their sales in a fast and effective way.
That way, customers can access their desired routes online, book trips, and get their tickets right from the comfort of their homes.
Folarin explained the initiative behind the new T40 PoS product launch. “Customers are always pleased when the ticketing process is fast and professional.
And with our PoS devices, companies can track and analyze their sales performance, see who their new and returning customers are, and offer them loyalty bonuses.
They can also monitor their sales to mitigate the risk of fraud. The possibilities are quite endless.”
How Intercity is giving the power back to consumers in the road transportation industry
Like Folarin stated earlier, Intercity is customer-centric and the amazing features on both their mobile app and website prove it.
Not only can Nigerians read and share honest reviews of their experiences with intercity transport companies, but they also get to compare their prices for trips and logistics.
What’s more? There are varying discounts for each age bracket, a special package for the youth service corps members, and a list of add-on features offered by each transport company.
Like the pick-up and drop-off services. Intercity also offers technical assistance to its customers. “We are always on standby seven days a week to offer support to people using our platforms in one way or the other,” Folarin
said.
The future for T40 and Intercity
While the two travel tech companies seem to have different target customers there is a singular vision. That is, to bridge the gap between service users and service providers.
Folarin also shared that features centered around security and inclusivity in Nigeria will be live on Intercity soon.
“Security is quite important to us. We are currently working on a feature that can make Nigerians feel safer when traveling or sending packages.”
Furthermore, he shared the vision he has for his two startups and the mobility sector at large. “The business model is continually being improved upon. In the future, we are hoping to find partners in the transport industry with inclusive and eco-friendly services.
People living with disabilities should have access to public vehicles that cater to their needs just as well as every
other person.
Also, we are working with our partners to reduce carbon emissions by their vehicles” he shared.
Folarin also disclosed his mission for market penetration across Africa sooner than later in the future.
Featured Image: Folarin Olulana, Founder, T40
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