"What is Uber Hiding?": Drivers Set to Protest as Lagos Government Begins Impounding Vehicles
- E-hailing drivers are planning to stage a protest after the failure of Uber to reach an agreement with the government
- According to a report, the ride-sharing business had received a warning from the state government to abide by the integration of the API
- The drivers said the state's ministry of transportation had begun seizing the cars of its members who were using the Uber app
Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has over three years of experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market.
I make N80,000 to N100,0000 every week from my job as an Uber driver, lady says
E-hailing drivers in Lagos State have vowed to launch a protest after the state government and Uber Technologies System Nigeria Limited disagreed on a data-sharing deal.
Source: Getty Images
Punch Metro discovered that the ride-sharing business had received a warning from the state government to abide by the terms of the agreement about integrating the application program interface to facilitate real-time data sharing for government monitoring and accountability during active trips.
Uber, however, allegedly stated that it was exchanging data with the government via an automated and safe network, but it was unsure of the conditions for sharing data in real time.
Transport ministry punishing drivers
The drivers, who are affiliated with the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria, expressed their annoyance and lamented the fact that the enforcement team of the state's Ministry of Transportation (MoT) had begun seizing the cars of its members who were using the Uber app because Uber doesn't have an office it couldn't trace the company to.
In an interview, the union representative Jossy Adaraniwon stated that instead of facing the ride-sharing company, the MOT enforcement team uses the app to post bait requests, and when the drivers reply, they take the car.
He stated that the union had given a notice that would expire on Monday, and if the government did not stop seizing the automobiles of its members, there would be a protest.
He said:
“How can a government say Uber doesn’t have an office to which it couldn’t trace the company? And because of that, they started to impound the vehicles of our drivers.
“We have asked them to stop with immediate effect from impounding our members’ cars, but what the MOT is saying is that the directive is from the Lagos State government itself that we should approach the governor.”
Adaraniwon further stated that the action did not give the government a good image.
He urged the state governor to take action by issuing an order to the transportation minister.
Gbenga Omotosho, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information, advised that the drivers should picket the app business instead of protesting the government.
He said:
“Instead of protesting against the regulatory authorities, I think what they should do is to protest against Uber.
“What is Uber hiding? If the state government gives a directive, everybody must follow. The government is doing this to protect Lagosians, visitors, and safety and security.”
Uber to roll out electric okada
Legit.ng reported that Uber launched an electric motorbike service in Kenya as it seeks to reduce emissions by 2040.
The company also plans to launch similar services in Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Tanzania, and South Africa later this year.
The company's General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, Kagiso Khaole, disclosed this.
PAY ATTENTION: Donate to Legit Charity on Patreon. Your support matters!
Source: Legit.ng
