E-hailing drivers in Lagos, under the aegis of the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON), have condemned the recent move by the state’s Ministry of Transportation to roll out a vehicle inspection schedule without their input.
The union disclosed this in a statement to The Guardian signed by the union PRO, AUATON Lagos State Council, Steven Iwindoye.
“The Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON), Lagos State Council, strongly condemns the recent actions of the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation (MOT) through the commissioner of transport, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, in rolling out a comprehensive vehicle inspection schedule for e-hailing operators without engaging the drivers and their legally recognised trade union,” the statement reads.
Recall that the Lagos State Ministry of Transport had on Sunday disclosed a vehicle roadworthiness inspection scheme and ordered the e-hailing companies, Uber, Bolt, inDrive and LagRide to present vehicles on their platform for roadworthiness tests.
According to the chairman, the order was thoughtless because it would give enormous power to app companies, which do not own vehicles.
“It is unacceptable that the Ministry and Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, chose to invite only the billion-naira-earning app companies to the so-called stakeholders’ meeting, sidelining the real operators of the industry, the drivers who work around the clock to generate that wealth.
“This is not just an oversight; it is a deliberate act of disregard for the welfare and rights of the workforce,” Iwindoye said.
He also noted that many of the drivers operating in Lagos do not necessarily reside in Lagos, and this policy poses a direct threat to their livelihoods.
He condemned the ministry for adopting a regulatory approach that deliberately excludes the people whose lives will be most affected.
He then recalled that the Lagos State House of Assembly had directed the ministry to urgently meet with AUATON. But the ministry has ignored the directive, setting a dangerous precedent where the voices of workers are excluded from policy decisions that determine their economic survival.
Lagos State AUATON’s problems with the Ministry of Transport did not start today, as the union has for long battled with the ministry’s refusal to recognise it as a valid union in the state. According to the ministry, there are only two transport unions: the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).
However, AUATON has emerged as a government-approved transport union and, as such, is deserving of the same recognition as others. This latest dispute comes across as an extension of the disregard accorded to the union by the ministry.
According to the driver’s union, the proposed vehicle inspection regime, if implemented without review, will centralise decision-making in the hands of app companies, thus silencing drivers in matters that directly affect them.
It will also impose costs and penalties that struggling drivers cannot immediately afford, particularly in the face of reduced earnings, high commission rates, rising fuel costs, and numerous state levies.
Finally, the union believes the policy would discriminate against interstate drivers who operate lawfully in Lagos but maintain permanent residences elsewhere.
“We remind the Lagos State Government that this policy contravenes the National Collective Agreement adopted on May 13, 2024, at the Lagos Restorative Conference, an agreement signed by regulators, 13 indigenous platforms, workers’ representatives, and their families. This landmark agreement was designed to address the inadequacies of the app-based transport system, including the lack of social protection, collective bargaining rights, and fair sectoral opportunities for workers,” the union said.
As such, the drivers are demanding an immediate engagement with AUATON as the legally recognised representative of app-based drivers in Lagos and a review of the proposed inspection policy to include the realities of interstate operators.
They also advocated the inclusion of social protection, fair commission structures, and collective bargaining rights in the new regulations.
Furthermore, they are calling for the establishment of a Social Welfare Fund to compensate victims of corporate negligence, the institution of passenger profiling and safety measures, and the adoption of a human-centred approach to regulation that respects fundamental workers’ rights.
“The Lagos State Government must resist the urge to rush policy implementation without thorough consultation.
No regulation should punish workers or impose hidden taxes through costly inspection requirements. Instead, the government should explore affordable car financing schemes, address exploitative commission rates, and strengthen safety protocols through genuine collaboration,” Iwindoye said.
