inDrive Faces Lagos Assembly Hearing Over Driver Concerns

inDrive, a prominent ride-hailing company in Lagos, has confirmed its participation in a public hearing convened by the Lagos State House of Assembly. The hearing follows a petition submitted by the Lagos Chapter of the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON), led by Comrade Jaiyesimi Azeez. The union's petition calls for the reclassification of drivers as employees, granting them full working benefits, implementing driver and passenger verification protocols to curb violence, and analyzing the commission structure paid by drivers, which the union claims exceeds the 25% commission charged by the companies.

The Lagos State Assembly responded to the petition by summoning ride-hailing companies, including inDrive, Uber, and Bolt, to a hearing scheduled for Tuesday, June 16. inDrive, through a spokesperson, acknowledged the summons and expressed readiness to participate in the discussion. The company aims to address key concerns raised in the petition, including driver reclassification, passenger verification, and pricing and commission structures. inDrive looks forward to contributing to a constructive dialogue on these matters.

inDrive's involvement in the hearing is particularly noteworthy due to its history of driver/rider clashes and other incidents within the Lagos ride-hailing space. The AUATON petition specifically references an attack on the inDrive platform, where a passenger, Pascaline, was robbed and stabbed by her driver after booking a ride at 2 am. inDrive denied the incident occurred on its platform, but similar assaults have been reported, including a driver assaulting a female rider over a dispute about air conditioning.

inDrive has taken action against drivers involved in assaults, suspending those responsible. However, the incidents highlight broader issues, such as pricing, which inDrive's aggressive marketing strategy has exacerbated. The company allows riders to set their own prices, leading to desperate drivers accepting low fares. Despite reducing its commission to 10%, drivers feel undervalued, leading to a one-day boycott of the app due to pricing issues. The hearing will provide an opportunity for inDrive to defend its business model against the AUATON's demands, which have necessitated the Lagos Assembly's intervention.