This isn't a sales pitch. It's the actual list of things you need and the actual steps to get on the road. If you have your documents ready, you can be earning by the end of next week.

Who can drive for Tinka

You need:

A car (any sedan, SUV, or hatchback in good condition) or a boda boda
A valid Ugandan driving permit (Class B for car, Class A for boda)
A working smartphone with internet (any Android from 2018 onwards is fine)
An MTN MoMo or Airtel Money account in your name (this is where we send your earnings)
An LC1 letter from your area chairperson (some drivers skip this and we ask for it later anyway, save yourself the trip and bring it)
A police clearance letter (Form A from your nearest police station — costs about UGX 30,000)

If you're driving a vehicle that isn't yours, you'll also need a written agreement with the owner. We've seen the "my brother said it's fine" situation go badly too many times.

The actual application steps

Step 1 — Download the driver app

It's called Tinka Driver on the Play Store (different app from the rider app). Search "Tinka Driver" or scan the QR code at our office.

Step 2 — Sign up

Phone number, name, email. Pretty standard. The phone number you sign up with should be the one connected to your mobile money — that way payouts go straight there.

Step 3 — Upload your documents

The app will ask for photos of:

Your driving permit (front and back)
Vehicle logbook
Insurance certificate
National ID
LC1 letter
Police clearance
One photo of you (passport-style, looking at the camera)
Photos of your vehicle (front, back, sides, interior)

Take the photos in daylight. Blurry photos = rejection = you having to redo them. Be patient with this step.

Step 4 — Wait for verification

This usually takes 2–3 working days. We don't outsource this — a real person in our Kampala office checks every document. If something's missing or unclear, we'll WhatsApp you.

Step 5 — Come in for a quick orientation

Once your docs are approved, we ask you to drop by the office (Akamwesi Mall, Gayaza Road) for a 30-minute briefing. We show you how the app works, talk about what gets you good ratings, what gets you suspended, and how the payouts happen. There's tea.

Step 6 — Go online and start earning

You're done. Open the app, tap "Go online," and trip requests will start coming in.

What you actually earn

This is the question every new driver asks first. Honest numbers from active Tinka drivers in Kampala:

Boda riders (full-time, 8–10 hours a day): UGX 600,000 to UGX 1,200,000 per month after Tinka commission and fuel. The variance is mostly about which area you work and whether you take night shifts.
Car drivers (full-time): UGX 1,500,000 to UGX 3,000,000 per month after commission and fuel. Airport runs and longer trips push this higher.
Part-timers (3–4 hours a day, evenings or weekends): UGX 300,000 to UGX 600,000 per month. Good side income.

I'm not going to pretend everyone makes the top of these ranges. The drivers who do consistently are the ones who are online during peak hours (7–9am, 4–7pm), who don't cancel rides, and who keep their rating above 4.5.

The same-day payout thing

This is the bit that genuinely matters and the reason a lot of drivers move from Bolt or SafeBoda to Tinka.

On Tinka: you finish a trip, your wallet updates instantly, and you can withdraw to your MoMo any time. Money is on your phone in seconds. We don't hold it for a week.

On most other apps: trips accumulate, payment lands every Monday or every two weeks. By Friday afternoon you've done 30 trips and have to wait three more days before you see the cash. We thought that was a stupid system, so we built ours different.

If you're currently driving for Bolt, Uber, SafeBoda, Faras or Yango, the comparisons below cover what changes when you switch (or run Tinka alongside): Tinka vs Bolt, Tinka vs Uber, Tinka vs SafeBoda, Tinka vs Faras, Tinka vs Yango.

What you should not do

Things that get drivers suspended quickly:

Cancelling rides after the rider has been waiting (cancel before they're notified, or don't accept in the first place)
Driving without a helmet (boda riders) or seatbelt
Asking riders for cash on top of the app fare
Letting someone else use your account
Going offline for hours then claiming the GPS is broken

None of these are surprising. We list them here because we get asked.

Ready?

Download the Tinka Driver app, gather your docs, submit. If you have everything ready and bring it in scanned, we can usually get you on the road within 5 working days. If you have questions before signing up, WhatsApp us at +256 760 722262 or email support@tinkataxi.com.

Drive safe.