February 4, 2025
There is conflict of interest brewing amongst e-hailing drivers in Lagos state as the state chapter of Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria, AUATON, has condemned the recent trend of unfairly low fares imposed by Indrive, Rida, and other app-based ride-hailing companies in a bid to dominate the market.
The union said the unhealthy, unethical and exploitative as practiced by Indrive and Rida is deliberate and designed to short-change the drivers.
The drivers said the deliberate reduction in fares would have severe negative effects “on our collective well-being and we therefore reject such unfair pricing strategies.
AUATON, in a statement, said “in a country like Nigeria, where the economy is unstable and the cost of living has skyrocketed—including fuel prices, spare parts, vehicle maintenance, rent, food, weekly remittances to partners, school fees, and even tire replacements—it is only logical for drivers to expect an upward fare review.”
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However, the chapter stated that rather than adjusting fares to reflect present economic realities, app companies, particularly Indrive and Rida, have chosen to be insensitive to our struggles by drastically undervaluing our services.
“For instance, when a trip that should rightfully cost ₦5,000 is reduced to ₦2,000 at the rider’s discretion, it is an insult to our profession and must not be tolerated”.
“There should be a fair minimum fare benchmark for riders to negotiate within, rather than the current situation where fares are slashed to exploitative levels.
The Lagos AUATON, emphasized that the dawn of a new e-hailing era is fast approaching, and for meaningful change to occur, we must take the first step to restore sanity in the business
