Links is a personal mobility ride hailing/rideshare company, underpinned by robust technology (Apps) platform. The company is legally incorporated under the Companies Act 2013, in Gambia, West Africa. Links-App is supported by a proven mobility-technology algorithm, aimed to facilitate ride requests of customers/riders, triggering driver responses, in an open digital marketplace, to transport riders from origin to final destination at a pre-determined price/fare.
The Links-App will be launched in December 2021 in the Greater Banjul Area (GBA), covering an initial 50km2 service area. Metropolitan Banjul (i.e., GBA) comprises of three major municipalities: (1) Banjul Municipality, and Banjul, the Capital city; (2) Kanifing Municipality, the biggest municipality in the country, with Serrekunda Town – as the largest commercial centre in Gambia; and (3) West Coast Region - the largest peri-urban municipality in terms of geographic size, with Brikama Town, as its biggest commercial hub. The GBA accounts for over 50% of Gambia’s total population of just over 2 million inhabitants; and 90% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
Gambia as a Low Income Country (LIC), is ranked, with a Human Development Index score of 0.46 (2017) according to World Data Atlas Index. Access to affordable transportation, especially for the urban poor, and middle class, is key to improving the Gambia’s sustainable human capital development, and social inclusiveness.
The socioeconomic development of Gambia’s population is enhanced by mobility improvements in urban transport infrastructure and service delivery. This is evident given that, the urban poor and middle class, are significant sources of labour for both the public sector, and private industry, trade and services sectors. Thus, the presence of Links/ Link-App, an Uber-like mobility platform, will enhance the availability of transport for the majority of the Gambian populace.
Improvement in urban mobility, is critical to the attainment of relevant
UN Sustainable Development Goals 9 and 11 for the Gambia: i.e., “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and innovation;” and “Make cities, human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.”
The GBA is dense and highly congested with long peak hours of travel; thus, making daily commuting to and from work, and other trip-purposes (business and school, shopping, etc.) a challenge for the majority of the urban population. Public transportation service is limited, highly unregulated, and mainly dominated by licensed “yellow taxis”, tri-cycles, and an emerging “private car” taxis. Under such prevailing circumstances, albeit disorganized, and unmanaged, it at the same time, presence an opportunity for Links mobility, to play a positive disruptive role, of creating a unique service product, given its safety, comfort and qualitative value proposition offering.