By Akinwale Kasali
Thousands of e-cab drivers spread across Lagos State have embarked on strike action since Monday 19th April 2021, which has inturn affected people’s mobility in getting to their respective places of work and destinations.
The e-cab drivers are lamenting poor conditions of services by their coordinating body, Uber and Bolt Nigeria.
Enumerating their demands, the drivers stated that it want a proper profiling of all drivers patronizing the services, upward review of the fares to meet the current economic reality, review of all accounts blocked unjustifiably, adequate welfare packages for drivers and compensation to the family of those that lost their lives or permanently disabled and cancellation of Individual engagement among others.
In a chat with Akeem Kehinde, Bolt driver and member of Professional E-Hailing Drivers and Private Owners Association, PEDPA, revealed that over 15 drivers have died untimely as a result of the poor welfare condition and 20 were missing as a result of kidnapping and rituals, while some currently suffer permanent disabilities due to non-challant attitude of the coordinating body over the drivers’ welfare.
He said as a result of the unhealthy and inhumane treatment meted out on them by Uber and Bolt Nigeria, drivers cover a minimum of 150 kilometres in 15 hours daily service at N65 per kilometer and N10 per minute fixed by Uber and Bolt Nigeria which amounts to a gross of N15,000 daily.
Analysing how the money is spent, Kehinde said out of the N15,000, 25 per cent goes to Uber and Bolt Nigeria as commission, N4,950 on fuelling and N5,000 as vehicle rental while the drivers are left with a meagre sum of N1,200 out of which feeding, data and airtime will always be taken care off.
PEDPA is said to have over 50,000 registered members across Nigeria, and it is registered under Trade Union Congress (TUC), International Labour Organisation (ILO) and relevant government agencies and parastatals in Nigeria.
Inspite of the ongoing strike by the e-cab drivers, some of them are still working, but the fare have increased astronomically.
For instance, before the commencement of the strike, a ride from Ogba to Magodo-Isheri is between N500-N600, but presently, it is between N1100-N1300.
This development has however raised poser among Nigerians, the moral justification in jacking up the price of fare when there is no increment in price of petrol by the Federal Government and the petrol regulatory Agencies.
