LagRide Drivers Decry Operational Challenges Amid Management Transition

E-hailing drivers working under the Lagos State Government-supported LagRide platform have voiced serious concerns about ongoing operational glitches, broken commitments, and exploitative practices by the app’s management companies.

In a strongly worded statement issued by Steven Iwindoye, Public Relations Officer of the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria, the drivers—referred to as “captains”—highlighted the app’s poor performance, especially outside Lagos Island and central areas.

The union pointed out that drivers based in locations like Ikorodu, Badagry, Igando, Abule Egba, Alagbado, and Epe frequently experience long hours without receiving trip requests, even during peak times.

“How can captains make consistent progress when the LagRide app still fails to function optimally? Many commuters in these areas have abandoned the service due to its inefficiencies, choosing alternative transport options,” the statement partly read.

The statement further read, “The project has drifted far from its initial goal of empowerment. Instead, it now appears exploitative, operating under the guise of a technology-driven public initiative.”

The Union, however, called for urgent Lagere and the Central Implementation Group to immediately “fix persistent functionality issues and ensure app performance across all regions of Lagos, launch a statewide advertising and public awareness campaign, expand app coverage to underserved and outlying communities, and fulfil promises related to incentives, insurance, vehicle servicing, and repayment tracking, among others.

“We urge LagRide and relevant authorities to return to the drawing board. A collaborative redesign is needed to ensure the platform truly supports captains and meets public mobility needs,” it added.

Speaking, the Executive Director of LagRide, Niyi Saliu, told our correspondent that the complaints of the drivers have been taken, and work has since commenced on the same.

“We have since commenced discussion with them on it. I don’t want to call it an employee/employer relationship because they are like partners to us. There is a change from the platform they were using before to a new one called LagRide, and, expectedly, some things may come with it.

“They disagree on some things, but they have been onboarded on the new platform. We are working on their complaints. They can also discuss other issues with us because they have a legitimate right to actually agitate for more. We are working; we may not be there yet, but some of their complaints have been resolved.”