Bajanda: The Uber in Cuba

Imagine that you’re at Paseo y 23 in Havana and you need to call a cab. You take out your cell phone, open the Bajanda app, and request a taxi that is estimated to pick you up in five minutes. While you await their arrival, you look at the taxi’s route in real-time. This may sound like a completely normal scenario for many people today, however, it represents the arrival of new technology for getting a taxi in Cuba. And yes, it’s called Bajanda named after the popular Cuban reggaeton song by the artist Chocolate MC.

Many Cubans are accustomed to relying solely on public transportation which, without careful planning and proper time estimation, can result in unpredictable arrival at undesired destinations. Even nowadays, public transport is often unreliable and few Cubans own personal transportation. Although there are state-run Cuban taxi companies, many focus on serving prioritized sectors such as health and tourism, so mobility can be inequitable.

As part of the economic reforms led by Raúl Castro in 2010, the landscape of the transportation industry began to shift when the Cuban government announced that taxi drivers could apply for private licenses. Not only did this lead to an increase in the number of drivers, but owners of classic cars also began tapping into the industry and offering their automobiles as a Cuban taxi to meet demand, too. The increase in the number of taxis in Cuba paired with the arrival of 3G mobile service and the ability to use geolocation opened new doors for entrepreneurs who recognized the void in a Cuban taxi app and rideshare services.

Rancel Ruana Capote, Founder of Bajanda

During a trip to Panamá in 2016, Rancel Ruana Capote, an entrepreneur, computer scientist, and programmer, was inspired by the impact and opportunity cell phone data and Uber had on transportation services. Recognizing the potential and unique opportunity, Rancel and his wife, Karla Suárez, began developing their own version of a Cuban taxi app. Created specifically for the Cuban market, the Bajanda app was the first Cuban rideshare service. The Bajanda app was launched on February 14, 2019, for download on iOS and Android, and is named after the popular Cuban reggaeton song by the artist Chocolate MC.

Bajanda is known for being user-friendly and requiring low data consumption. It has strict safety and security protocols as the car registration and identification of all Cuban taxi drivers must be displayed for all passengers to see. The geolocation function allows users to personally track their taxi route and share their location with others. Users pay the driver directly in cash after the service, although new payment methods permitting electronic transfer to domestic and international credit/debit cards are currently being developed.

Additionally, Bajanda has user groups on WhatsApp (currently the most popular messaging and voice-over-IP service in Cuba) to address user feedback in real-time. The app’s number of followers has been steadily increasing which speaks to the quality of the service offered as well as its marketing, and demonstrating to the international community that the Cuban private sector is expanding to reach market demands. 

A successful marketing platform for Bajanda is Instagram, as the social media app allows it to directly reach its target audience of primarily young, tech-savvy Cubans. Bajanda has capitalized on this platform through employing a consistent brand strategy and methods such as influencer marketing and collaboration with international brands to better position their service.

Even with several similar Cuban taxi apps already on the market, Bajanda quickly rose to become the most popular Cuban rideshare app, utilizing strong branding and a simple, easy-to-use interface. Within one year of launch, the Bajanda app had 23,000 registered users and currently has over 30,000 registered users and more than 350 drivers. This number is significant considering the widespread lack of wireless and 3G mobile access in Cuba.

So, if you’re planning a trip to Cuba, download the Bajanda app to get to your desired destination with ease and comfort.