AUATON demands improved safety from inDrive after driver robbed by riders at gunpoint

The Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON) is demanding improved safety from inDrive after a driver was robbed at gunpoint by riders on the app.

Read also: Following Technext’s report, inDrive is reviewing its Terms of Use to take more responsibility

In a statement signed by the PRO of the union’s Lagos Council, Steven Iwindoye said the driver was robbed at gunpoint in Ajao Estate while working on the inDrive platform. Two men who had reportedly requested a ride threatened him with a firearm and drove away with his vehicle.

“Think about that for a moment. Someone left home early in the morning to earn an honest living, only to find himself staring at the barrel of a gun. How many more drivers must suffer before inDrive takes our safety seriously?” the statement reads.

The union wondered what would have happened if the driver had been killed, with his family losing its breadwinner. It also wondered how he would be compensated for the stolen car and how he is expected to take care of his loved ones with his means of earning gone.

“This is no longer just about a stolen car. It is about the lives of the people who keep this industry running,” the statement reads.

inDrive driver robbed at gunpoint

This development comes after a driver was robbed at gunpoint on Sunday, October 25, in the Ajao Estate area of Lagos. Narrating the incident, the driver said he picked up the request on inDrive at about 4.30 am. On getting to the location, one of the riders got into the back seat while the other hopped into the front. The ride began, and along the way, the man in front pulled out a pistol and demanded the car. The helpless driver had no other choice but to surrender his car.

This safety concern comes even as e-hailing companies constantly emphasise how much they have invested in safety. Despite this, safety continues to be a major issue in ride-hailing, with drivers constantly facing potentially life-threatening risks while trying to feed their families.

“Where are the effective passenger verification measures? Where is the emergency response system that drivers can rely on when their lives are in danger? What practical support is available to a driver who becomes a victim of a violent crime? We understand that no ride-hailing company can completely eliminate crime. But that is precisely why stronger safeguards, effective monitoring and a reliable emergency response system are necessary,” AUATON said.

The union also called on drivers and riders to uninstall and stop using the inDrive app until the company demonstrates credible improvements in safety and accountability.

“This is a call for peaceful collective action. We must make it clear that our lives are more important than trips, commissions or corporate growth,” the union said.