The Spectator has learned that a planned peace meeting between e-hailing companies and its drivers who are using different app-based platforms on Friday came to a standstill.
Both sides allegedly refused to give ground during the talks at the meeting.
The meeting came after the drivers, who had called for a statewide strike to protest what they viewed as an unsatisfactory price revision in light of the considerable increase in the price of gasoline, delivered a ferocious protest to the doors of the ride-hailing businesses.
The Chairman, Media and Publicity Committee of the union, Jossy Olawale, said in an exclusive interview with The Spectator that although some e-hailing firms have made certain adjustments to fit the present operating climate, the considerations are still well off the mark.
Additionally, he stated that the union has temporarily suspended its industrial action but would resume it in seven days if the demands made on Friday were not honored.
“We do not have any resolution with them. They said they would increase the price (fare). The people that met with them in Lagos said they increased the price by N7, and when you look at N7 it’s just about 0.7 per cent increase or thereabouts.
“Before the increase in fuel price, it was N102 per kilometre, but since we started our strike, they upped it to N140, which is about 40 per cent increase. We are actually asking for a 200 per cent increase, which is about N300 per kilometre. We want to use that as a negotiation strategy because we know they won’t do up to that. If they are able to do 100 per cent increase, it’s fine, but they only did 40 per cent.
“We also requested for a 50 per cent reduction of their 25 per cent commission. They didn’t even say anything about it. Though they said they would open the door of negotiation. Lastly, they still left the base fare at N800. We are asking that the base fare should be N2000 flat. The commission should be cut by half from 25 per cent to 12.5 per cent.”
Speaking as well, the union’s president, Damola Adeniran, stated that the union would not compromise on the demands made by the cab-hailing companies because anything less would not guarantee the drivers’ financial security.
He said, “ We maintain our stand of N2000 base fare, 200 per cent increase in the price per kilometre and a 50 per cent reduction in commission. We also want collective bargaining and at the same time profiling of riders. We want them to reopen the accounts of drivers who have been blocked unjustifiably, without fair hearing.”
Speaking with The Spectator, the Country Manager for Uber in Nigeria, Tope Akinwumi, said the company had implemented two upward reviews of fare prices in the wake of the increase in the price of gasoline.
He said, “Drivers are at the heart of everything we do and we continue to work on initiatives and engage with drivers to help make Uber the app of choice for drivers while maintaining an affordable service for riders.
“Following an in-depth review of the current fuel subsidy removal, Uber updated fares on the 3rd and 9th June on the app to reflect existing economic conditions. We believe these changes have helped better support drivers in increasing their earning opportunities. Furthermore, we lowered the service fee in February 2022 from 25 per cent to 20 per cent to help enable better earning opportunities for drivers.
When approached, a senior Bolt official declined to respond, claiming that he lacked the right to do so.
As of the time of publication, the corporation has not replied to an email asking for comments on the situation.
