Drivers boycott inDrive app, from April 1, to protest low fares, underpayment

e-hailing drivers have embarked on a boycott of the inDrive app, starting from 5 am on April 1. The drivers say their grievance with the company is their unwillingness to modify their pricing model to ensure fares are commensurate with the cost of operation. According to them, the company only cares about its commission and has modelled its business to reflect that.

“Our greatest achievement is for inDrive to cancel that price option. If they don’t do that we haven’t achieved anything. A trip will appear 8,000 naira inDrive will reduce it to 6,00 naira. It must stop,” a driver told Technext.

“The only Play Indrive has is low price. Nothing more. They are ready to crash fares just to gain market share. Reason why Bolt and Uber are also slashing fares,” another driver said.

Similarly, the Lagos State Chapter of the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON) took up the call, pointing out that drivers are the backbone of the e-hailing business and must be treated with dignity and respect.

In a statement sent to Technext, PRO, Steven Iwindoye said drivers have reached a breaking point and have decided to inform the company.

He said the company’s recent changes to its fare pricing system, which allow riders to reduce the fare price to half of their already ridiculous prices, are the final straw. He said drivers can no longer operate under a system that exploits and oppresses them and can no longer continue to provide premium services while being underpaid and overworked.

“The cost of fuel and maintenance is increasing every day, and yet, you continue to ignore our plight. As of today, we are shutting down InDrive until you make drastic changes to your system. We will no longer participate in a system that prioritizes profits over people. We will no longer be treated like slaves, forced to work long hours for minimal pay,” the statement reads.

The union then demanded a review of inDrive’s pricing system to ensure that drivers are fairly compensated. They also demanded an increase in fares to reflect the rising cost of fuel and maintenance, and a better support system for drivers, including but not limited to timely responses to concerns and issues.

“Until these demands are met, we will not return to the platform,” the statement reads.

inDrive says drivers are not forced to accept low fares

As e-hailing drivers continue to complain about low fares on the inDrive platform, the ride-hailing company has defended its peer-to-peer price negotiation model, insisting it does not force drivers to accept low fares. The company disclosed this in a mail response to a Technext query into the matter.

e-Hailing driver representatives, responding to an inquiry into the rising spate of unruliness while operating on the app, noted that the ridiculously low fares on the app leave drivers frustrated and on the edge. The company, however, said the model empowers drivers with the freedom to choose riders and offers that align with their expectations and operational costs.

“At inDrive, we believe in a fair and transparent pricing model that allows both drivers and riders to have a say in the fares, unlike traditional ride-hailing platforms with fixed pricing structures. Our unique peer-to-peer negotiation model ensures that drivers are not forced to accept unreasonably low fares—they have the freedom to negotiate and choose offers that align with their expectations and operational costs,” a company representative told Technext.

However, the company says it recognizes that economic factors, such as fuel prices and operational expenses, can impact driver earnings, so it remains committed to continuously improving its platform, engaging with drivers to understand their concerns, and introducing initiatives that enhance their overall experience and earnings potential.

Not just inDrive, other apps have been indicted as well

Recently, drivers operating under Nigeria’s app transporters’ union, AUATON, launched a campaign against taxi-hailing apps, accusing them of imposing low fares in a bid to gain market share and competitive advantage over rivals.

In a statement signed by the PRO of the Lagos chapter, Steven Iwindoye, the union described the trend of low fares as an unhealthy, unethical, and exploitative practice deliberately designed to impoverish drivers.

“It has severe negative effects on our collective well-being, and as e-hailing practitioners already struggling to make ends meet, we firmly reject such unfair pricing strategies. These cars are owned, managed, and fueled by drivers. App companies have no right to arbitrarily reduce fares to unreasonable levels without first consulting us,” the statement read.

Read also: 50% slash: Bolt bows to drivers’ pressure, increases fares following backlash

The drivers lamented the harsh economic realities -fuel prices, spare parts, vehicle maintenance, rent, food, weekly remittances to partners, school fees, and even tyre replacements.

As such, they justify expecting an upward fare review. However, rather than adjusting fares to reflect these economic realities, app companies, particularly Indrive, Rida, and Uber, have chosen to be insensitive to drivers’ struggles by drastically undervaluing their services.

“For instance, when a trip that should rightfully cost ₦5,000 is reduced to ₦2,000 at the rider’s discretion, it is an insult to our profession and must not be tolerated. There should be a fair minimum fare benchmark for riders to negotiate within, rather than the current situation where fares are slashed to exploitative levels. The continuous price slashes and unfair treatment of drivers by ride-hailing companies like Indrive, Rida, and Uber have pushed drivers to a breaking point,” the union said.

Weeks ago, the drivers launched a campaign against Bolt after the company effected what was then perceived as a 50 per cent slash in fares. Following the drivers’ protests, the company reviewed the fares upwards, eve though it was not quite to what it used to be.

This time, the drivers appear to be taking their campaign to inDrive, a company they generally agree is behind the trend of massively reduced fares across the industry. The drivers accuse the e-hailing giant of using a bidding system that empowers riders to bid fares that are unhealthy, exploitative and unfair to the drivers.

See also: N2,000 from VI to Egbeda: Drivers slam InDrive for offering ‘ridiculous’ fares