App-based transport drivers in Edo State will begin a three-day warning strike on Monday July 28, in protest against plummeting fares, soaring fuel prices, and deteriorating safety conditions.
The industrial action is being organised by the Edo State chapter of the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON).
E-hailing drivers operating in Edo State are set to begin a three-day warning strike from Monday, July 28.
The move comes as drivers grow increasingly frustrated over app-based fare pricing, rising fuel costs, and safety concerns.
The strike is organised under the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON), Edo State chapter.
Strike targets fare cuts and fuel price surge
Comrade Russell Eghaghe, chairman of AUATON Edo State, announced the strike to push app companies such as inDrive and Bolt to rethink their pricing models.
“Fare reductions by these platforms have greatly eroded drivers’ earnings,” he said. For instance, common routes like GRA Benin City to UNIBEN main campus are now charged between N1,500 and N2,000, while fuel prices have climbed to over N900 per litre.
Eghaghe criticised Indrive’s “price negotiation” system, which lets passengers lower fares while capping drivers’ earnings—a practice Bolt reportedly copied.
“Drivers are being trampled like grass in a battle between two elephants,” he stressed, highlighting the unsustainable operating costs drivers face from unchecked commissions and soaring fuel expenses.
The union demands a “basic minimum fare per kilometre and minute” to guarantee a fair and sustainable income for drivers. Without changes, tensions may escalate into wider unrest, affecting public transport stability.
Safety and unregulated conditions amplify drivers’ plight
Beyond economic grievances, e-hailing drivers have raised alarms about their safety. Rising incidents of violence and criminal attacks against drivers have been reported across Nigeria’s app-based transport sector.
The Amalgamated Union calls for urgent rider profiling measures to reduce risks and help drivers better assess passengers before accepting trips.
Jayesimi Azeez, Lagos State chairman of the association, said ignoring driver security concerns will have dire consequences.
“The safety and security of our members must be a top priority,” Azeez noted, referencing numerous tragic incidents this year.
Drivers also face challenges converting vehicles to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to lower fuel costs, but the high conversion price between N700,000 and N800,000 presents a significant barrier without government assistance.
This warning strike marks a pivotal escalation in Edo State’s e-hailing sector, where drivers demand transparency, fairness, and protection to sustain their livelihoods amid growing economic and security pressures. The strike begins Monday, July 28 and will last three days unless key issues are addressed.