Fuel price hike: Uber/Bolt drivers now put off air conditioning, negotiate prices off-app

E-hailing drivers operating on the Uber, Bolt and InDrive platforms in Nigeria have resorted to putting off their air conditioning during rides and negotiating fares outside the app rates to make ends meet. The drivers who spoke to Technext said this is imperative given the prevailing fuel scarcity situation and the recent increase in the price of petrol across the country.

A driver, Oyebode said over the past weeks he has been driving without putting on the air conditioning to save petrol.

“Codedly, I have in the last two to three weeks been operating without air conditioning. Yes, the majority of the riders understand and cooperate, while some don’t. In the next 2 – 3 days, I am hoping the picture will be clearer,” he told Technext.

Another driver, Ajibola Vincent noted that some drivers are already adjusting their prices to be able to meet up.

“The riders ought to bear some part of the difficulties. Some drivers have downed tools, stating that until app fares become more accommodating of current realities, they won’t be taking orders and would rather rely on offline trips. Other drivers are already self-adjusting fares as well by negotiating a higher fare with the rider to accommodate the challenges they face in getting petrol to run their vehicles to complete orders,” he said.

The drivers, reacting to a fuel scarcity that has ravaged the country over the last couple of weeks, said they have been at the very short end of the stick. One driver, Tobi, narrated to this reporter how he passed the night at a filling station while hoping and praying to finally get fuel for his work.

“This fuel issue is not a small thing. I slept in a filling station yesterday. I was in the queue from 11 am till 9 pm yesterday at Northwest Gbagada, yet I couldn’t get fuel. I drove down to NNPC Bariga because I was told they do sell kegs at midnight, but I can’t stand the chaos there. Then I drove down to NNPC Maryland around 5 am where I finally got a full tank with the help of a good Samaritan. Almost 24 hours in search of fuel. It is well,” Tobi said.

Ajibola Vincent noted that drivers spend as much as 4 hours in the queue just to buy fuel. If they are lucky enough to find a filling station selling. He pointed out that the current scarcity and fuel price hike have put drivers at a disadvantage in the general scope of the app-hailing industry as they find themselves wasting productive manhours in search of petrol.

“Clearly, we are in a disadvantaged position regarding the modus operandi of the apps. As drivers, we are the ones seeing shégè due to a scarcity of petrol to run our vehicles to take and complete orders. It has been a Herculean task getting petrol and that means fewer hours to take and complete orders. So pathetic,” he said.

Drivers demand an immediate increase in app rates as fuel prices increase

Following their unsavoury ordeals in their search for liquid gold to power their businesses, the drivers are calling for the app companies to immediately increase rates on their platforms to reflect the current harsh economic reality.

According to the drivers, it is not fair that they are the only ones getting crushed under the weight of fuel price increases and scarcity, a situation that has forced many of them to park their vehicles.

According to Ajibola Vincent, the unofficial increase in pump price is affecting their earnings, making the business very unbearable. This, he says, is because the ride-hailing companies have not factored into the price algorithm the prevailing market price of petrol.

Taking it further, Ayobami, a female driver, while lamenting that fuel prices now range between 855 naira to 1,000 naira, showed me a message she already sent to Bolt’s public policy manager, demanding either an increase in rates or a reduction in commission.

The message reads:

DEAR BOLT, WE BELIEVE YOU’RE ALREADY AWARE OF THE RECENT REALITY ON THE GROUND, AND WE WILL APPRECIATE YOUR SWIFT ACTION OF EITHER A REASONABLE INCREASE IN PRICE OR REDUCTION IN COMMISSION TO 10/15%. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY WE CAN STILL REMAIN IN BUSINESS IF TRULY WE’RE PARTNERS… THANK YOU

Another driver, Vitalis said: “I think the App companies should make a commensurate increment without any delay. That is the right thing to do.”

Oyebode believes that the app workers union, the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON), should confront the app companies about the matter while making sure that a commensurate increase in fares is put in place whenever fuel price is increased.

“Personally, I am of the opinion that the State/National Excos should take the bull by the horns and write, if they have not, to these App companies, demanding an immediate adjustment which should be reviewed from time to time. From the 1st fuel price increase, I mean the ‘fuel subsidy removal’, up till now, steady and gradual increases have been done, with pilots bearing the brunt,” he said.

It remains to be seen whether the app companies will review their prices. It is important to note that Uber reportedly increased its rates in Abuja a few days ago.

See also: ₦793,000 monthly: AUATON chief knocks Bolt and Uber for deceptive ads