Uber, Bolt drivers in Nigeria seek inclusion in FG’s free CNG conversion scheme 

E-hailing drivers under the platforms of Uber, Bolt, and InDrive, among others have appealed for inclusion in the Federal Government’s free conversion of commercial vehicles to the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) scheme.

The South-West Vice-President of the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON), the umbrella body of the e-hailing drivers, Mr Kolawole Aina, made this appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Friday.

According to him, many drivers are already leaving the business because of the high cost of petrol which makes it unprofitable.

Aina noted that AUATON is registered and recognised by the federal government, so it should not be sidelined in the government’s moves to cushion the effects of the fuel price hike for commercial drivers.

Why e-hailing drivers have been excluded 

The AUATON VP said the exclusion of the e-hailing drivers from the government’s free conversion initiative was because they are seen as private businesses. He, however, noted that neglecting them would also affect the economy.

‘’The federal government has not included e-hailing drivers in this free scheme because we are seen as private transporters, but later on, the government will want to talk to e-hailing companies to reduce their prices. 

“Now, if these companies reduce their prices, who is going to bear the brunt, is it the app company or the drivers? How would the economy of the country grow?’’ he queried. 

According to the union leader, if the issue of conversion to CNG is removed from AUATON members, they will be able to cater for their needs, despite the high cost of vehicle parts.

Uber, Bolt commission 

Also reacting to the increase in fares by the App companies, Aina said that each time the companies increased fares, they do not disclose the parameters used.

• He said that the increase did not reflect positively on the drivers, rather they were ripped off with the high rate of commission and number of trips.

• The vice-president condemned the inconsistency in placing drivers on a high rate of commission that was neither helping them nor the economy.

• He said that the app companies collect commissions as high as 32% or 28% from drivers, adding that this was affecting the drivers negatively, especially with the economy.

‘’The high rate of commission is too much for the drivers, please we are appealing to the app companies that there should be a review, especially with the high cost of living in the country. 

“Drivers are struggling to meet up with this demand and that is why we have many of them dying due to fatigue,’’ the union leader said.  

Backstory 

The Federal Government had, in July, commenced the free conversion of petrol and diesel-powered commercial vehicles to compressed natural gas-powered mode, in a bid to cut the cost of transportation nationwide.

• It started the exercise in Abuja and Lagos, urging commercial transport owners to key into the scheme by bringing their vehicles to be converted. The government said that the use of CNG would reduce the cost of transportation by over 40 per cent.
• It said commercial transporters under their different unions, including the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, would benefit from the initiative.