Local DEMO Africa finalist, Road Rules launches Android App

Nigel Gambanga Avatar
Road Rules App, Android, Zimbabwean Startups

Like every other previous incarnation held before it, this year’s DEMO Africa Conference was yet another opportunity for a select group of African tech startups to showcase their solutions to potential investors and business partners, while establishing some form of regional relevance in the process.

Zimbabwe was set to be represented by two startups and one of those startups, Road Rules, failed to attend DEMO Africa. The team ended up focusing on refining their product – a mobile app proving learning content for the provisional drivers’ licence test – and they have now launched it on Google Play.

This is the first time that the app has been made available to the general public. The app previously had a demo version which was first developed on the Ampion Bus last year and demoed at Apps World in Germany in April this year, and at Innovation Baraza.

What does it offer?

The first impressions of the Road Rules App are that it is a solution that has an easy to use interface, with a clear display of content. As is expected of apps in this field, the app is interactive, specifically for questions taken under the practice section.

The diagrams are clear, which is something that other content providers, both online and offline, attempting to sell this sort of solution tend to overlook. It also provides a fairly comprehensive run through the basics of a learners licence application.

Zimbabwean Apps, Road Rules, Traffic Safety

There seems to be a fair amount of content which is available under 3 different tabs – namely Practice, Test and Notes. According to Road Rules team, this is content created through collaboration with a local driving school. The app also scores points for providing a progress check, something that ought to help users assess their readiness for the $20 jaunt at the VID.

One frustrating bit is that tests and practice have a fixed length, something which tips its hat to the 2 question format of the VID test. However, in my opinion, having bite-sized practice tests wouldn’t have been so bad.

All this doesn’t come for free, though. Sure, you can download the app for free from Google Play, and it will let you get a feel of its core functionality but only as a trial version.

To get the complete Road Rules App, you will have to activate it using a code that you can get by paying $2 through EcoCash and Telecash. That seems like a fair price, considering that it is in line with you’d pay for street vendor paper based material for the same test.

Part of my frustration with the app also came to the fore here. Besides limiting payment to mobile money, there is the fact that the process hasn’t been made as seamless as it should be in 2015. Selection of a payment option and making the actual payment could be prompted by an automated generation of the code.

For now, you have to follow up with the Road Rules team. Fortunately, they’ve done a lot to be as accessible as possible, giving a feedback channel for the app as well.

Speaking to Tawanda Chikosi, the founder and CEO of Road Rules, he explained how monetising the app was prompted by the need to have resources for the constant updating and renewal of content. He pointed out that Road Rules wasn’t just selling answers to the Learners’ Licence Test, but offering a learning tool which focused more on explanatory content that could never be static.

The Road Rules App offers an alternative source of revision material for the learners licence app. In a lot of ways, this problem has been touched at by other app alternatives so Road Rules will have to amplify the delivery of their value proposition to stay ahead of the curve.

This means creating a better delivery of content, competing on a fair price and offering delivering material that is worth someone’s time. Part of what they have displayed with this app suggests that they have figured some of these things out already, but as with all things to do with startups, its the market response that will tell the better story.

You can download this app by following this link. What are your thoughts on this solution?

8 comments

  1. Taurai B

    This isn’t the first app of it’s kind https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=zw.co.mobility.drive which has more than 5,000 installs

    1. Chikosi

      Thanks for the comment Taurai, I am sure that gives our users more variety and they can choose which one of the two that gives them more value. The Road Rules App, which can be downloaded on this link https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.neolab.roadrules or http://bit.ly/1QAo1Gs has so far received great testimonials from users who used it and passed the first time. Feel free to check it out!

  2. Chikosi

    We look forward to innovating in this space and play our part in making the process of preparing and acquiring a driver’s license in this country more interactive and intelligent.

    Our vision is to play a significant role in assisting the country in the reduction of Road Carnage in this country and Africa as a whole.

    We are more than open to feedback and ideas from anyone interested in this space. Lets do this!

  3. Observer

    Ko vasina masmartphone vanoita sei? Dont they make up more than 70%

    1. Chikosi

      Hie Observer, that’s a good question thank you. At the moment we are focusing on the ones with smartphones and once we have received good user feedback, improved on the product, we may then look into the feasibility of non smartphone users.

      We observed that there is a high smartphone usage amongst the age group that is taking the Zimbabwe provisional driver’s license test.

  4. Terry

    jus downloaded the app (trial version) and its great… so my questions are
    1) if i pay to activate the app will it be active permanently?
    2)What happens if i change my phone will i have to pay another $2?

    1. Chikosi

      We are glad you like the app when you downloaded and used it! It will be active for 3 months after which we believe you would have nailed the VID Exam like many of our users!

      If you change your phone you do not have to pay again. For more information and faster assistance please contact us via WhatsApp number 0773 913 526 or you can call us on 0773 384 668, we will be more than willing to assist.

  5. Anonymous

    You have successfully paid USD2.00 to ROAD RULES (17993) Merchant. Txn ID MP161130.1123.A02858. New wallet balance is USD0.87. Where is the code

2023 © Techzim All rights reserved. Hosted By Cloud Unboxed