“It is criminal to accept outside-app rides”- CIG warns LagRide drivers amid protests

Amid an ongoing dispute between CIG Motors, the new management of LagRide and the drivers on the platform, CIG has warned that accepting rides outside the app remains a criminal offence and against drivers’ contractual agreement.

Communications Director of CIG, Adeleye Fabusoro, disclosed this in a chat with Technext.

Recall that in April, the LagRide captains resolved to seek rides across other apps like Uber, Bolt, inDrive, etc. This was after a meeting between themselves, representatives of CIG Motors, officials of the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON), and officials of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).

According to sources at the meeting, this was owing to a lack of ride requests on the CIG app and its attendant lack of revenue. Although officials of CIG refused to consent to the arrangement, the drivers were given the go-ahead by officials of the Lagos Chapter of the NLC, led by the Chairperson, Comrade Funmi Sessi.

However, CIG restated its refusal, insisting that drivers must remain exclusively on the platform.

“Lagride captains are not allowed to pick up rides outside of the Lagride app. It is an offence and criminal of them. It is against the service code that they signed. We have met with NLC, and the NLC Chairperson attended the 4-day training we organised for the drivers, where we reiterated all the service agreements they had previously consented to by their signatures. So, the NLC knows it is wrong for the captains to pick rides outside the Lagride app,” Mr Fabusoro told Technext.

He further pointed out that the vehicles are specifically designated for Lagride, with a mission to ease the movement of residents, visitors and tourists in Lagos.

See also: LagRide drivers to start using Uber, Bolt, inDrive as NLC wades into CIG dispute

Drivers’ ongoing dispute with CIG and LagRide

In late 2024, LagRide began the process of changing its management. CIG Motors was eventually handed the reins because of its innovation and focus on electric cars. However, the switch has not gone as smoothly as envisaged.

According to the drivers, trouble began after they tendered a series of complaints about the new app introduced by CIG Motors. The complaints centred around the app’s poor performance and several unfavourable policies introduced by the new management, one of which is the discarding of daily remittance, with the new management accused of wanting to introduce a salary structure for gig workers.

But perhaps, the most worrying shortcoming of the app is that it does not cover the entirety of Lagos and is only operational in highbrow areas like Victoria Island, representing a major limitation for drivers.

Even where it operates, drivers say requests are very few, and they can’t make enough income.

These shortcomings have prompted drivers to reject the app, stressing that it is counter-productive to their operations. They then resolved to hop on other apps in a bid to make ends meet until CIG can resolve the problems with its app.

However, the company remains resolute that working off the app is an offence that goes against their contracts. Asked if the app has been fixed in line with the drivers’ complaints, the company’s spokesperson, Adeleye Fabusoro, said a lot of the concerns have been fixed.

“A lot of the concerns have been fixed, and we continue to improve the features and efficiency of the app. The drivers are aware of the penalties of doing such (not using the app), and we are monitoring to ensure full compliance,” he said.

However, a LagRide captain and spokesperson of the Lagos Council of the Nigerian app-transporters’ union, Steven Iwindoye, said the situation remains the same as the company is yet to fix its app. While admitting that conversations are currently ongoing, he said there are still no improvements.

“What are the improvements they are talking about in the app? We cannot see our asset payment on the tab, which is number one. Number two, the payment is still not yet a daily payment. Now they just told us that they will be doing payment twice a week, Tuesdays and Fridays, which is not sitting well with us,” he said.

He also noted that there are still no rides on the app, as drivers have been known to spend all day on the app without a single request.

“You put on the app from morning till night, you will not get a single request. Maybe when you are tired by 8 pm or 9 pm and you are going home, that is when you get a request taking you off route. So what are they saying? Why are they deleting the posts (negative reviews) that people are dropping under their Instagram page? Why are they hiding it if they have a viable app out there? They are simply not ready for business,” Mr Iwindoye said.