Drivers of ride-hailing companies such as Bolt, Uber, and inDrive, are increasingly asking riders to pay more than official prices to mitigate against high petrol costs and a cost-of-living crisis in Nigeria.

These drivers, including Olabode Olukunmi, a 45-year-old driver, said recent increases by these companies have not been able to offset rising costs. Petrol prices have surged by 66.13 percent to N1, 025 per litre since September 2024.

Bolt and Uber have had to review prices upward to adjust to this reality. “We understand that your operational cost may have increased due to the current macroeconomic situation and want to help ensure your earnings are protected. With this in mind, we have reflected a 13 percent increase in the UberX product,” Uber said in September.

However, these drivers argue that the price review does not reflect reality.

“Whenever I buy fuel of N10,000, I make only N12,500. I have to feed myself and my family and consider car repairs, among others. In fact, most of us do not work during the day. We work at night because we know that people do not have a choice but to pay at that time,” said Olukunmi.

This means higher costs for riders, who sometimes have no option but to pay the extra amount demanded by the drivers. Ben Osagie, an event host visiting Ibadan, said,

“I had an event in Ibadan, so I ordered a ride from my hotel. The Uber app showed N3,500 to my destination, but the driver insisted on collecting N6,000. I asked him why, and he kept asking if I was going or not. I told him I wasn’t going at that price, and he hung up.”

Osagie eventually got another ride but had to pay N1,000 more. Kemi Adebode, also in Ibadan, told BusinessDay that she once had to pay N4,000 for a trip that was officially meant to be N2,000. According to her, ride-hailing is now a last resort for her commute.

In Abuja, Uche had to pay N2,000 more than the N13,000 quoted by his Bolt app for a trip to the airport. “I didn’t have a choice,” he said.

In Lagos, Faith Lisa, a writer, narrated, “I ordered a Bolt ride from Ikoyi to Lakowe, and the price of the ride was N10k on the app.

“During the trip, the driver complained that the money was too small. He narrated how he had to stay in the queue for hours and kept hinting that I should add more money to the price. When I was about to pay, he asked that I add N5k to the initial fare. After bargaining for over 10 minutes, I added N2k.”

Another rider in Lagos told BusinessDay, “I ordered via inDrive from Lekki to Four Points by Sheraton. After bargaining for a price on the app, the driver still asked for more money when he arrived, citing the traffic.”

For Temitope Victoria, her inDrive driver collected N1,000 more than the N6,500 he agreed to on the app.

However, Olukunmi, earlier mentioned, noted that the drivers are only trying to survive. He noted, “Personally, I would carry them. I understand because they don’t have enough money too.”

Temitayo Johnson, another ride-hailing driver, echoed that drivers do this because the rates on the apps are low, and even for those on inDrive — where riders can negotiate prices. He said the apps are unable to raise prices so high because it scares passengers off.

He stated, “There are several riders with different rates on inDrive. No passenger will pick the highest, so we try to agree to their low price and speak about an increment when they come in.”

Johnson, who drives in Ibadan, noted that drivers have asked for higher rates from ride-hailing apps but have not received a suitable response.

Bolt did not respond to emails for comments as of the time this report was filed.

However, Femi Adeyemo, Bolt’s communication manager, had earlier indicated that the company was constantly reviewing conditions to ensure that prices were fair enough for both drivers and passengers. (BusinessDay)