LagRide drivers protest Lagos airport harassment, company says it is working on structured access

Drivers operating on the LagRide platform are protesting against a ban that has restricted them from operating at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. According to the drivers, not only are they harassed when trying to pick up passengers at the airport, but they are also extorted by agents of the airport authority.

According to a statement signed by one Comrade Orimikoya for and on behalf of the Lagride Captains’ Community, despite paying a fee of ₦50,000, the drivers said operatives of the airport authority still make life difficult for them with harassment, vehicle clamping and questionable monetary collections. They said the matter has gone beyond mere disagreement between airport operators and e-hailing drivers and has become a serious question of fairness, transparency, accountability and the protection of the legitimate means of livelihood of hardworking Nigerian drivers.

“For months, Lagride Captains have continued to experience situations in which they are permitted to drop passengers at MM1 but face obstacles, restrictions or enforcement actions when attempting to pick up passengers. This raises a fundamental question: What exactly is the reason a legitimate e-hailing vehicle can enter the airport to drop off a passenger but is prevented from entering to pick up another passenger?” the statement reads.

Comrade Iwindoye Steven, the spokesperson of the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON), a LagRide captain, called out LagRide for the harassment and overall troubles its drivers face at the airport. According to him, the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) issued a general ban on e-hailing operations. Because LagRide is a government-backed business, it behoves the company to negotiate.

“If the LagRide management wants us to be picking rides there, they should be the ones to go and meet FAAN and negotiate and get a space for their cars. Some of us raised it during a stakeholders meeting with their management, but they did not look into it. The airport is federal government property, and LagRide is under the Lagos State government through Ibile Holdings, the business arm of the government. Both governments should negotiate,” he said.

LagRide is working on “structured” access for drivers

In response to a Technext query on the matter, LagRide said it was aware of some of the concerns raised by the Captains and understood how important airport trips are to them. It pointed out that the airport transportation market is highly regulated, with specific requirements governing commercial passenger pick-ups and operations.

In light of this, it is working to address the matter institutionally rather than leaving individual Captains to navigate the complexities of airport operations themselves. As such, it has concluded a partnership that will introduce a structured process for the drivers.

“We are excited to have recently concluded a partnership that will address this issue and create a structured opportunity for LagRide Captains to participate in the airport transportation market. We will communicate the operational framework and requirements to them as implementation progresses,” a company spokesperson told Technext.

The company noted that for many visitors, the journey from the airport is their first real interaction with Lagos. As such, it is important that LagRide is properly represented at major gateways into the city, especially the airports. And since it has a target of deploying up to 1,000 Captains on the road, that ambition comes with the responsibility of creating more opportunities for them to earn. The company said this means building corporate partnerships, expanding its customer base, improving its technology and entering markets such as airport transportation.

“The airport partnership is part of that broader strategy. We want people arriving in Lagos to have access to a safe, professional and distinctly Lagos mobility platform, while ensuring that our Captains benefit from the economic opportunities created by the city’s growing business and tourism sectors,” the spokesperson said.

The company, however, said it was not aware of any ₦50,000 payment made by Captains in relation to airport access, nor was any such payment authorised or coordinated by it. It, however, said its Captains have a strong entrepreneurial mindset and may independently explore opportunities they believe will improve their businesses or give them access to particular markets.

“Our responsibility as LagRide is to create formal, sustainable opportunities for them. That is exactly what we have done with the new airport partnership, which will provide a structured framework for our Captains to participate in this important market,” the company said.

Read also: “Our drivers get enough work to earn ₦1 million monthly”, Lagride said