The rise of food delivery service has become a major trend in Jamaica over the past year due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, and positioned to take advantage of the increasing demand for effective and time-sensitive delivery is the new Jamaican tech start-up, Driva Ja.
The online food delivery service boasts that it is Jamaica’s answer to Uber Eats and has plans to revolutionise the door-to-door food delivery sector. The company, via its Android and iOS compatible mobile app and website, aims to streamline the food ordering process between restaurants and consumers by the click of a button.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of parent company Courier Driver Limited, Rajiv Maragh, explained that Driva Ja will be launched in Montego Bay, St. James, in August and will allow customers to order food or products from their favorite merchants for delivery directly to their doorsteps.
Mr. Maragh, a Jamaican born international jockey, said that the app will allow consumers to track any food or product that they ordered in real time, anywhere, in the country.
This can be done with a credit, Visa debit or Mastercard as well as by topping up your Driva Ja account through a local affiliate.
“There are a lot of people going into the space because they see the demand, so there is definitely a necessity. We are taking what they currently have, and we are expanding on it. We are using a more advanced technology that is going to make the process of ordering food and the product very fast and more convenient than it is right now,” Mr. Maragh said.
“It works good for everybody. The consumers who are logging on, it is going to make their lives easier. They are going to be able to access whatever they want from the merchants. The restaurants and so forth that are in the area, they are going to get their business going better [and] provide job for lots of people such as the drivers and the workers in the restaurants,” he added.
Mr. Maragh explained that deliveries will be subcontracted to bearers who sign up to be workers and earn on a commission basis. He said these subcontracted workers will undergo training in customer service and other areas to meet customer satisfaction.
“We are creating a free market for drivers to go on [the app or website] and work their own hours, be their own boss. They will earn per delivery that they make [and] be able to work as much money as they want,” Mr. Maragh noted.
He outlined that the platform will branch out from Montego Bay to the rest of the country, over time. In addition, Jamaica will be the launching pad to take Driva Ja across the Caribbean as the aim is to revolutionise the food delivery sector.
“This is completely home-grown. Its four Jamaican founders and our first two employees are currently students at UWI and UTech. It is an all-Jamaican product which is something I am very proud of,” said Mr. Maragh.
“I always thought about how I can contribute to the place I grow up and really put me on the map. This is a perfect opportunity to provide something that is really a necessity in Jamaica right now due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.
Source: https://jis.gov.jm/driva-ja-aims-to-change-the-food-delivery-market/