Bolt, Uber drivers seek FG’s intervention over high commission rate, demand 200% fare hike

E-hailing drivers, under the aegis of the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transport Workers of Nigeria (AUATWON), say they will meet with representatives of the ministry of labour to harp on concerns about high commission rates.

Due to the withdrawal of subsidy, which has pushed up the price of petrol by more than 150 percent, the drivers are seeking a 200 percent increase in fare and a 50 percent reduction in commission rates.

On Jun 7, the disgruntled drivers had shutdown operations in protest of low fares and the commission rates set by Uber and Bolt — the two biggest ride-hailing service providers in Nigeria.

Speaking to TheCable on Monday, Ayoade Ibrahim, general secretary of AUATWON, said members agreed to suspend the strike on Friday, and gave the ride-hailing companies a seven-day ultimatum to heed to their demands.

Ibrahim noted that the association ended the strike after a meeting with Uber and Bolt ended in a deadlock.

He said the drivers would embark on another strike if their demands remain unmet, adding that the association plans to meet with officials of the ministry of labour on the matter today.

“The outcome of the meeting will determine the next step. We have encouraged our drivers to manage and sort themselves with their customers. We suspended it pending the time of our meeting with the ministry of labour,” Ibrahim said.

“We had a meeting with them (the ride-hailing companies) on Friday and we are not satisfied with their response. We gave them a 7-day ultimatum. Within these seven days is when we are going to agree.

“We are not going to take anything less because of the fuel subsidy and the problems we face with our job.

“We asked them to increase it (fare) to 200 percent, in accordance with the association. If they fail to do the necessary, we have instructed our members to convert their customers to offline and we mean it.”

Responding to TheCable’s inquiry on the worker’s request, Tope Akinwumi, Uber’s country manager for Nigeria, said the company updated fares on the app from June 3 to 9 to reflect existing economic conditions.

This, Akinwunmi said, followed an in-depth review of the current petrol subsidy removal policy.

“We believe these changes have helped to better support drivers in increasing their earning opportunities. Furthermore, we lowered the service fee in February 2022 from 25 percent to 20 percent for better earning opportunities for drivers,” he said.

“We want the best for drivers who operate on the Uber platform and frequently engage with them directly through roundtables, surveys, phone, and in-app channels to better understand and receive feedback on the realities they face in their businesses.”