BasiGo, the Kenyan-based electric bus manufacturer, is expanding its operations to Rwanda through the establishment of a new entity, BasiGo Rwanda Ltd.
This move comes after the company’s recent partnership with Associated Vehicle Assemblers Ltd (AVA) to assemble its buses in Kenya.
To facilitate this expansion, BasiGo has joined forces with AC Mobility, Rwanda’s leading provider of automated fare collection systems for public transport.
Under this partnership, BasiGo will deliver electric buses to Kigali transport operators by October using its innovative Pay-As-You-Drive financing model, which has been successfully implemented in Kenya.
“The financing model allows bus owners to purchase the electric buses along with a daily subscription fee, covering the cost of leasing the battery, nightly charging at a BasiGo depot, and bus service and maintenance.”
BasiGo and AC Mobility aim to provide 200 electric buses to bus operators in Rwanda by the end of 2024.
The expansion is timely, as the Government of Rwanda is actively working on increasing the size of Kigali’s public transport fleet and transitioning 20% of the fleet to electric buses by 2030, according to reports.
By combining these efforts, BasiGo aims to make the transition to electric buses in Rwanda accessible, affordable and environmentally friendly, freeing bus operators from rising fuel costs while significantly reducing air pollution and CO2 emissions.
To support the electric bus operations in Kenya, BasiGo also launched the Jani app, a reservation platform for daily commuters in Nairobi.
The app enables passengers to book rides on BasiGo’s comfortable and modern electric buses operated by partner bus operators.
Through Jani, passengers can conveniently find their preferred routes, and timings and receive real-time updates on bus arrival times.