AUATON rejects Bolt’s ‘divide-and-conquer’ roundtable, demands increased fares

The Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON) has rejected a roundtable with drivers in Lagos organised by ride-hailing company Bolt. This was disclosed in a statement to Technext signed by the PRO of the union’s Lagos State chapter, Comrade Steven Iwindoye.

According to the statement, the union was rejecting the invitation because previous such roundtables have failed to yield positive results for drivers.

“Drivers have repeatedly attended meetings and discussions in the past with the hope that meaningful solutions would emerge. However, many of these engagements have not resulted in practical improvements for drivers,” the statement reads.

The union also accused the e-hailing company of using such roundtables to implement a divide-and-conquer strategy.

According to the PRO, in a separate response to a Technext query, the company has been known to deploy such a strategy whenever drivers are on the verge of uniting over a cause.

“They just want to use divide-and-conquer tactics that they have been doing before. The moment they see that we are trying to call for strike, they look for everyway to call drivers to a roundtable to cajole and counter all our strategies. But this time it is not going to work. What we are asking is for them to do the needful, fulfil their social responsibilities and let everything work the way it is is supposed to,” he told Technext.

While not pushing aside the real importance of such a coming together, the union said it was only calling for caution regarding the proposed roundtable meeting until there is clear evidence that such engagements will lead to genuine solutions for the challenges drivers face.

See also: Are algorithms by Uber, Bolt and inDrive killing human interactions in e-hailing?

AUATON demands increased fares from Bolt

In line with its rejection, the union is also demanding that Bolt improve its standards of operation which have been against drivers. It noted that for years, drivers have operated under extremely difficult conditions.

The cost of fuel has continued to rise, vehicle maintenance is becoming more expensive, and operational expenses such as data, servicing, and daily running costs keep increasing.

Drivers

Unfortunately, the fares offered to drivers through the platform remain unsustainable.

“After deducting platform commissions and covering operational costs, many drivers are left with very little income despite working long hours daily. This situation is not only unfair but also threatens the livelihood and dignity of thousands of hardworking drivers who depend on this work to support their families,” the union said.

In addition to economic hardship, the union noted that drivers continue to face serious concerns regarding safety, unfair account deactivations, and policies introduced without proper consultation with the driver community.

“At this critical moment, drivers are demanding real reforms, fair pricing structures, transparent policies, and stronger protection for those who power the platform,” the statement reads.

In a recent statement to Technext, Bolt acknowledged the energy situation in the country and said it was looking to implement ‘targeted measures’ that will help maintain the balance between driver costs and rider pricing to ensure that its platform remains fair and sustainable for all parties.

“We are well aware that fuel costs are an important component of driver earnings, so we are closely monitoring the impact of rising fuel prices. We are currently assessing our pricing and driver earnings in Nigeria, and we are preparing to introduce targeted measures to help drivers manage the short-term cost pressures,” the company said.

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