Uber drivers in the capital city, Abuja will be embarking on a strike following a series of disagreements with the company.
According to Tech Cabal, the Abuja Partner Forum has been trying to get Uber to take note of some issues that affect both drivers and partners in the city, resolution of which would result in a better experience. According Gbenro Ogundipe, an Uber Partner in Abuja, there have been reports of drivers getting robbed by riders, rides not being properly documented (so drivers earn less than what they’re due) amongst other issues. The Forum tried to communicate this with Uber but for some reason, the messages were reaching Uber’s SA branch. Obviously, they had next to no knowledge on what was going on so they were of no help.
There was a meeting with Uber in June where some of the issues were supposedly raised and an agreement made to meet every month- which has never been fulfilled.
The demands being made;
- Rider identity verification through valid and matching credit/debit cards, due to security concerns.
- Detailed explanation of completion rate calculation, and inclusion of completion rates in app/dashboard.
- Increased rider education through the app.
- Requirements for destinations to be entered by riders before they can make requests, so the rider is clear on fare estimate before trip.
- Penalties for long waits after driver arrival at pickup location.
- Increase in per minute rates to N30/min.
- Base fare increase to N300 (from N220).
- Airport fare increase to N4000 (from N3000) and inclusion of N400 toll.
- Removal of peak hour conditions for high flier incentives.
- Rounding up of fares to the nearest N50.
- 24-hour limit to rider rating the driver.
- Clearer procedures for reporting and resolving issues
As a result of their discontent, Uber Partners and drivers in Abuja have decided to take action. As from today, they will no longer grant requested trips to or from the airport.
After Culture Custodian reached out to Uber for a statement, a spokesperson said;
“More than 1,000 drivers have so far partnered with Uber to voluntarily provide safe, affordable transport for people in the country’s largest cities. Uber has improved the driver experience with flexibility, increased economic opportunity and established communication channels.
Anyone can speak to us at any time and there are a number of ways driver-partners can let us know if they have any individual concerns.
Uber is focused not only on a great experience for riders but also increased economic opportunity for driver-partners. Uber succeeds when our partners succeed, so our teams are working hard everyday to find even more ways for driver-partners on the Uber platform to thrive.”