E-hailing drivers in Edo State, operating on platforms like Uber and Bolt, have resolved to unilaterally implement a 50% increase on all ride fares above the official prices displayed on the apps.
The fare adjustment, which took effect on Saturday, November 15, is a survival strategy aimed at improving drivers’ dwindling earnings amidst skyrocketing operational costs and economic hardship in Nigeria. This move follows similar unilateral fare adjustments made recently by drivers in Port Harcourt and Abuja.
The fare hike is a direct response to macroeconomic pressures that have severely eroded the profitability of ride-hailing services for drivers, due to a long-running dispute with the app companies over commission rates and pricing autonomy.
The chairman of the Edo State Council of the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON), Comrade Russell Eghaghe, stated the adjustment is necessary for improving drivers earnings and ensuring better value for their time and service.
Eghaghe addressed the perception of “greed” directed at drivers, labeling it double standard;
It is heartbreaking that when others increase prices, it is called ‘adjustment’, but when drivers do the same, it is called ‘greed.’ This double standard must stop
Meanwhile, drivers in Port Harcourt recently declared a 50% increase, while those in Abuja and Abeokuta have also implemented similar fare adjustments to cover operational costs.
The national body of AUATON supports these actions, asserting that app companies like Bolt lack the authority to unilaterally fix trip fares. They argue that drivers, as transporters, possess the mandate to set appropriate fares. Bolt previously threatened to permanently deactivate drivers in Port Harcourt who charged outside the app’s agreed-upon fee.
The union argues the hike is essential for service sustainability, ensuring drivers can maintain vehicles and avoid being driven into poverty by a system that fails to account for rising fuel, maintenance, and living costs.
