Gig drivers who use Uber and Bolt apps are charging customers higher than the suggested prices on those apps, blaming a recent fuel price hike and tepid reactions from ride-hailing companies. Across three separate trips in Abuja, Nigerias capital city, drivers added between ?1,000 to ?2,000 extra, claiming that the prices the apps suggested didnt work for them.
If you book a ride that is not up to ?3,000, drivers will demand ?5,000 or else theyll cancel the trip, one gig driver told TechCabal.
Ride-hailing companies are responding with slight increases in base fares and new driver incentives.
We just concluded a weekly campaign where we could win ?10,000 fuel bonus each time we concluded a series of eight rides with little to no cancellations, Olakunle, a gig driver, said.
As their margins come under more pressure, gig drivers are opting for longer trips and telling customers upfront that they have to pay more.
