The Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transport Workers of Nigeria, which represents ride-hailing drivers in Nigeria, is pleading with the Federal Government to rethink removing fuel subsidies.
They claim that this choice has considerably worsened the struggles their members are currently experiencing.
The head of the Media and Publicity Committee, Mr. Jossy Olawale, revealed this in a statement, noting that the app businesses had declined to change the fare pricing to benefit the workers.
They asserted that since the subsidies for app-based transportation have been eliminated, workers are now “subsidizing” their own transportation costs.
“Uber, Bolt, Lagride, Indriver, and other app companies fix the price and their commission, leaving the drivers to their losses; the situation of our drivers today is that we are the ones subsidizing the transport fare for the riders in Nigeria,” the statement reads.
They went on to say that the elimination of the subsidy had placed their members in a dismal situation, noting that the majority of their members in Nigeria were graduates who were out of work due to the high unemployment rate in the nation.
They encouraged the federal government to reconsider removing subsidies and support its members through grants to investigate alternative fuels, such as the usage of compressed natural gas.
“Our members are unable to cover the cost of conversion, so to speak, and we are requesting government assistance in this area as well as other steps as soon as possible before the situation becomes completely intolerable.
“We are also urging the government to reconsider eliminating the subsidy in light of the multiplier effect on the economy and the declining standard of living among the poor.”
