Uber drivers protest against 40 per cent fare reduction

Uber drivers in Lagos yesterday took to the street to protest against 40 per cent fare reduction that the taxi service company introduced recently, a burden, which they claim is being passed on to the drivers.

“I spent N50,000 on fuel last week and UBER paid me just N80,000 when I was supposed to get double of that amount,” one of the drivers said.. The protest started with a peaceful walk from the National Stadium in Surulere yesterday morning, down to the company’s office in Lekki. The drivers claimed the firm, which launched its smartphone technology in Lagos as the fourth city in Africa to embrace the innovative scheme in July 2014, was being unfair to the drivers’ welfare.

With placards calling for halt to the current promo, reduction in fee to 10 per cent, proper verification and adequate security measures, one of the drivers, Olugbenga Steaven, said: “Uber doesn’t give drivers any car, it doesn’t buy fuel or maintain any vehicle, yet it takes 25 per cent of the driver’s earning.”

It would be recalled that an UBER driver was allegedly strangled to death in Lagos last month while his Kia Rio salon registration number KTU 594DM was purportedly stolen. Also, at the weekend, policemen foiled an attempt to rob an UBER driver at Oshodi.

Samantha Allenberg, who handles communications for the taxi firm in Africa, said the protest was caused by a lack of communication. “The 50 per cent off marketing promotion was entirely at the cost of UBER. Driver-partners did not have to pay for this promotion. Should any driver-partner have any questions or concerns about this campaign, they are welcome to contact us via our support channels.”