E-hailing drivers under the aegis of the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria have raised the alarm over the skyrocketing costs of mobile data.

The drivers, who operate on platforms like Uber, Bolt, and InDrive, expressed their concerns over the rising expenses, which they said were severely impacting their daily earnings.

In an interview with Saturday PUNCH, the Treasurer of the South-South Zone of AUATON, Reward Ahuruezenma, explained the tough financial realities e-hailing drivers face.

“Before now, I used to spend about N1,000 to N1,500 on data daily, but it is about N2,500 now. It is getting out of hand. Calls, navigation, and even operating the e-hailing apps are being crippled by these high data charges,” he said.

Ahuruezenma criticised federal lawmakers for not taking action, referring to the current data prices as a form of exploitation.

“What is happening is daylight robbery,” he lamented, adding, “A data subscription that is supposed to last for a month is consumed within hours, and we are left with nothing.”

He lamented that many drivers were no longer making enough profit to sustain their families, as the costs of fuel and maintenance also continued to rise.

Ahuruezenma said the drivers might increase their fares if the situation continued.

He said, “When we earn, the money goes straight to data, fuel, and maintenance. It is no longer profitable. If nothing changes, we will have no choice but to increase the fare.”

Also, an ex-officio of the Lagos State Chapter of the union, Wasiu Ismail, described the situation as “disastrous” for the business.

He warned that fare increases might be inevitable, saying the drivers were facing a dire situation.

“Before the increase, I spent N7,000 a week on data. Now, it’s between N12,000 and N18,000. Google Maps alone can wipe out your data within hours. Currently, the minimum fare varies, but with these data challenges, I foresee it rising to N5,000. We need to survive,” he said.

Stating that the cost of data was not the only burden on drivers, Ismail said many e-hailing drivers had been forced to cut back on services such as air conditioning to reduce costs.

He added that some drivers had to extend car servicing intervals, leading to vehicles breaking down due to costs.

A former spokesman and ex-officio for AUATON, Jossy Adaraniwon, highlighted the dual impact of both the soaring price of fuel and the increase in data and airtime costs.

He said, “Our members are now spending as much as N2,800 daily on data and airtime. Meanwhile, the ride-hailing platforms charge up to a 32% commission, leaving drivers with very little profit.”

Adaraniwon explained that drivers spend approximately N19,600 weekly on data and airtime, and a fuel cost of around N30,000 daily.

“After the ride-hailing platforms take their commission, the driver is left with a mere N4,700. With car rentals, food, and other expenses added on, it’s becoming impossible for drivers to make ends meet,” he stated.

AUATON called for urgent intervention from the government and advocated the use of Compressed Natural Gas as an alternative to petrol.

However, despite government approval for the free distribution of CNG kits, Adaraniwon said many AUATON members had not benefited.

He urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure that AUATON members are included in future distributions.

In January, the Federal Government approved a 50% tariff hike for telecom services, a decision that sparked widespread backlash.

The Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, defended the move, pointing to the need for private telecom companies to make a profit from their investments.


https://punchng.com/e-hailing-drivers-lament-data-price-hike/