VOA慢速英语--Uber可能很快就会扩展到塞内加尔的首都

Uber May Soon Expand to Senegal’s Capital

Transportation company Uber may soon be expanding its services to Senegal’s capital.

Uber works much like a common taxi, except drivers and riders find each other through a smartphone app.

But Dakar is a city full of taxis and drivers who do not have smartphones. So Uber will have some difficulty being useful to its residents and making a profit.

Dakar, like most African capitals, has a lot of taxis. In most parts of the city, any time day or night, it is easy to find a ride. But the city is quickly growing. And Uber says it has seen an opportunity to move in.

Francesca Uriri is Uber’s head of communications in West Africa. She told VOA that any progressive city that has a need for safe, dependable transportation “is where we want to be.”

“We are part of a broader mobility¹ movement in establishing smart cities of the future and will continue to explore what our options are in West Africa.”

No fixed² addresses

Among other issues Uber will face in Dakar is a lack of exact addresses. Taxi drivers know the city very well and usually find places based on landmarks⁴. So a big question for some residents is how Uber taxis could work in a city that rarely uses map apps.

Sa Ngoné, a Dakar resident, has used Uber’s services while traveling in the United States. He said Uber might work well in Dakar but will need a lot of investment.

“When you are coming to my house, I will not be able to tell you exactly where my house is located on the map...I will have to tell you a building or somewhere, a school somewhere I can pick you [up] from.”

Unlike Ngoné, most Dakar residents do not know about Uber. But similar services, including Allo Taxi, already exist in the city. Allo Taxi is a service you call to set up rides.

Welcome addition

However, some say the services already in Dakar are not fully⁵ developed, and Uber’s arrival would be a welcome addition.

“I think if this company came in, it would create competition and add something new to the landscape of transportation in Dakar. I think it could work really well,” Dakar resident M. Dieye told VOA.

But for most taxi rides in Dakar, riders and drivers must negotiate⁶ prices before getting in. Both think they would be happier if the prices were fixed based on distance and time.

Modou N’Diaye is a taxi driver in Dakar. He told VOA that if Uber brings jobs, “that could help us out a lot.”

No negotiating⁷

Gora Séne has been driving a taxi since 1998. He said often price negotiations⁸ lead to him getting paid less than he should. And sometimes conflicts with riders end with him not being paid at all.

Séne says he thinks Uber could do well in Dakar if the company works with local drivers who know the city well.

But whether the drivers will be able to join Uber or compete with them is still an unknown.

Uber has expanded to 23 cities in Africa, including Abuja, Lagos and Accra in West Africa.

I’m Alice Bryant.

Words in This Story

app – n. a program on a mobile phone that performs a special function

resident – n. someone who lives in a particular place

opportunity – n. an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done

option – n. the opportunity or ability to choose something or to choose between two or more things

address – n. the words and numbers that are used to describe the location of a home or building

landmark³ – n. an object or structure on land that is easy to see and recognize

landscape – n. a particular area of activity

1 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。

2 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

3 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

4 landmarks   

n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 )；目标；（标志重要阶段的）里程碑 ~ (in sth)；有历史意义的建筑物（或遗址）

参考例句：

• The book stands out as one of the notable landmarks in the progress of modern science. 这部著作是现代科学发展史上著名的里程碑之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The baby was one of the big landmarks in our relationship. 孩子的出世是我们俩关系中的一个重要转折点。 来自辞典例句

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

6 negotiate   

v.洽谈，协商，谈判，顺利通过，成功越过

参考例句：

• I'll negotiate with their coach on the date of the match.我将与他们的教练磋商比赛的日期问题。
• I managed to negotiate successfully with the authorities.我设法同当局进行了成功的协商。

7 negotiating   

n. 谈判 动词negotiate的现在分词

参考例句：

• They were coerced into negotiating a settlement. 他们被迫通过谈判解决。
• We want to get all the parties back to the negotiating table. 我们想把有关各方拉回到谈判桌上来。

8 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。