The Suzuki brand of vehicles from CFAO Motors and Vehicle Financing startup, Moove received zero safety ratings and are declared dangerous for our roads.
For its mobility entrepreneurs in Ghana and Nigeria, Moove, an African mobility fintech firm, partnered with CFAO Motors, the continent’s most prominent automotive distribution network with a presence in 36 countries, in February 2022 and bought over 5,000 brand-new, fuel-efficient Suzuki cars.
Following acquiring these car fleets from CFAO, Moove agreed with Uber in sub-Saharan Africa and has experienced more than 50% month over month since beginning in Ghana and Nigeria.
With this move, they hope to strengthen their drive to supply new, fuel-efficient automobiles across Africa on a large scale by making a variety of Suzuki cars available in Ghana and Nigeria, including the Alto, Swift, Celerio, Baleno, Dzire, and S-Presso models.
Suzuki brands on the Ghanaian market by CFAO and funded by Moove for ride-hailing.
Types of Ride-hailing Services in Ghana.
The development of ride-hailing applications in Ghana has completely changed how we get around various locations. People may rely on these apps to provide the fundamental requirements of a hired ride: reasonable prices, comfort, and timeliness. Ghanaians don’t have to depend on rickety, worn-out, outdated taxis and trotros for transportation.
According to studies conducted by independent automobile researchers, “the introduction of ride-hailing services—Yango being the newest to hit the market in 2019—has substantially aided in making the available riding services more affordable, particularly in terms of rates. The price considered affordable for the latest actors’ service offers is one aspect that, in the eyes of those polled, clearly stands out. In reality, 71.4% of the 156 respondents to the study think that middle-class people can afford those services.“
The research also added that “22.2% of the panel, even those with low incomes, can afford ride-hailing services. A middle-class individual can afford these services, according to the over-45 age group, which supports this trend 100%.”
You might find it fascinating to learn that there are more than ten ride-hailing businesses in Ghana. Since the launch of Uber in June 2016, four of the industry’s leading players have been splitting this highly profitable ride-hailing sector. Due to its first-to-market advantage, Uber became extremely popular among Ghanaians compared to its competitors. Bolt, Yango, and Accra Cab all followed shortly after.
The ride-hailing services Dropyn, Enshika, Ghroupdrive, Uru, Rabarides, CarpoolGH, BlackRide, Coco Ride GH, and Swift-Wheels are some of those vying for this market share.
Suzuki Models Safety Ratings
Automobile manufacturers in the United States aim for four and five-star safety ratings when testing cars for passenger safety. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts numerous tests on automobiles to determine their safety in crashes.
According to a crash test performed by Global NCAP, the new Maruti Suzuki S-Presso automobile sold in Ghana by CFAO and financed for ride-hailing services by Moove has a low rate of passenger safety. In the popular video from Business Insider, the Suzuki models scored 0 for failing to safeguard passengers in a head-on accident.
The Suzuki S-Presso was driven 40 miles per hour through a metal barrier during the Global NCAP test. The test dummies inside suffered significant damage, as evidenced by the recorded results. The dummies’ exposed areas are shown in red, and there is obviously a lot of red. The lack of numerous essential safety elements in a vehicle like the S-Presso is what makes it so hazardous.
The voiceover video provided additional clarification; “what makes a car like the S-Presso so dangerous is the number of basic features it lacks. First, it provides only the driver with an airbag. In contrast, a 5-star vehicle, like the Tesla Model 3, features full-size airbags for both front seats, as well as side airbags for the rear seats. That is because they effectively prevent severe impact and stress on passengers during a crash.”
The influx of Suzuki’s Zero-rated Cars in Ghana.
Many Suzuki model automobiles are now being funded and used for ride-hailing services in Ghana and Nigeria due to the partnership between CFAO and Moove. Some social media users on Twitter have called for people not to buy these brands of Suzuki cars, and some have called for authorities to take these brands off the street.
This discussion about vehicle safety and NCAP ratings needs to be louder, so that negligent automaker like Maruti Suzuki is compelled to put safety before their fuel efficiency trap. It is quite disheartening that car companies like Suzuki and Moove are pushing these vehicles on our roads with zero-star safety ratings while still providing financing options for them.
It is about time the Government of Ghana and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) enforced the standards for vehicles being shipped into the country and using our roads.