GIGM to launch hireX car hire and PASS travel app in Abuja on November 4
- GIGM will launch hireX, a vehicle hire and charter service, and PASS, a travel booking app, in Abuja on November 4.
- hireX offers chauffeur-driven cars by the hour or day with upfront pricing and vetted drivers.
- PASS puts bus tickets, flights, hotels, airport pickups and tours in one app.
GIG Mobility (GIGM) says it will launch two services in Abuja on Tuesday, November 4: hireX, a premium vehicle hire and charter marketplace, and PASS by GIGM, an app for booking whole trips.
The company announced the plans in Abuja on Sunday. GIGM describes itself as West Africa's largest intercity road transport company, with more than 40 terminals in Nigeria and Ghana.
For everyday travellers, the pitch is convenience. hireX will offer chauffeur-driven cars by the hour or by the day, with prices shown upfront and drivers the company says are vetted. It is aimed at executive movement, airport transfers, interstate trips, group travel and event transport.
PASS will put intercity bus tickets, flights, hotels, airport pickups and local and international tours in one app. GIGM says the aim is to plan a whole trip in one place instead of dealing with several vendors.
Why Abuja first
GIGM's chief executive, Dr Enahoro Okhae, said the capital was chosen because of how it runs. "Abuja runs on schedules: meetings, ministries, embassies, flights," he said, adding that people who keep the city moving deserve transport that keeps up with them.
He said the Abuja fleet will combine GIGM-owned vehicles with cars from verified partner operators.
The company's chief operating officer, Jude Odum, said GIGM is already talking to organisations in Abuja ahead of the launch. He named corporates, embassies and NGOs that want one partner for executive transport, staff movement and travel management, and invited early partners to come forward.
From November 4, GIGM said customers can book hireX through the GIGM app and PASS through the GIGM app and its website.
GIGM has run intercity bus services for nearly three decades. The new services move it beyond buses into car hire and trip planning, a market already served by ride-hailing apps and online travel agencies in Lagos and Abuja.
The announcement did not give prices for hireX or say how many vehicles will be available in Abuja at launch.
What happens next
The services open to customers on Tuesday, November 4. GIGM says organisations interested in partnering on staff transport and travel management can contact the company before then.
