Ride-hailing drivers in Nigeria, operating under the umbrella of the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transport Workers of Nigeria (AUATWON), say they are facing the worst hardships of their lives as a result of the removal of petrol subsidy.
According to them, they contend with fixed rates despite the subsidy removal, a situation that was killing them gradually.
They said the app companies had remained adamant they can only increase fares between 25 per cent and 40 per cent and still maintained 20 per cent to 25 per cent commission.
They, therefore, urged the Federal Government to reconsider the removal of fuel subsidies, as the decision has significantly exacerbated the hardship faced by their members.
In a statement on Thursday, chairman Media and Publicity Committee, Mr Jossy Olawale, decried that the ride hailing companies had refused to adjust fare prices to profit the workers.
They also claimed that with the removal of subsidy, app-based transport workers were “subsidising” their own transport fares.
“App-based transport workers in Nigeria are facing the worst hardship of their lives as a result of fuel subsidy removal and lack of ability to adjust our transport price anytime there is an increase in the price of fuel just the way other transporters can quickly adjust to the reality.
“The app companies Uber, Bolt, Lagride, Indriver and others fix the price and their commission, leaving the drivers to their losses; the situation of our drivers today is that we are the ones subsidising the transport fare for the riders in Nigeria,” he said.
Olawale further stated that the removal of subsidy had left members in a state of hopelessness, noting that members of the association were predominantly unemployed university graduates.
“However, the means of survival is now a state of hopelessness for our members, whose daily operational cost is largely dependent on petrol.
“Also, in less than two months, this cost has gone up by over 350 per cent to 400 per cent respectively, depending on the part of Nigeria one lives, as today, fuel is now sold be between N570 and N715 per litre in this country. “
They urged the Federal Government to support its members in the area of grants to explore alternative fueling, including the use of Compressed Natural Gas, and also revisit the subsidy removal.
