Nigeria's Public Complaints Commission (PCC) has opened an investigation into ride-hailing company inDrive over alleged exploitative and unregulated practices, following a petition filed by 2,000 drivers.

The case moves a dispute that has already produced driver strikes and app shutdowns — tactics the drivers themselves say failed — into a statutory process under the PCC Act, 2004, which carries penalties for non-compliance.

The move is contained in a Case Conference invitation, referenced PCC/LS/COM.2026/S.503/21, addressed to the Managing Director of inDrive and seen by Technext. The document was signed by the Commission's Director of Investigation, Mrs Nnadozie Uchenna.

According to the invitation, the complaint against the company was received from 2,000 drivers led by Mr Samson Aghedo under the Drivers Liberation Movement.

"They alleged that your company has engaged in exploitative behaviours like: unfair fare cuts and deactivation, exorbitant commission as high as 25% with hidden charges, policies being changed without driver input, and absence of regulation," the document reads.

The complainants also set out a series of requests aimed at securing a better working environment that supports their welfare. These include the establishment of a regulatory framework for fare determination with drivers' input, and a legally binding agreement witnessed by the PCC stating that terms shall not be deviated from without sixty (60) days' notice.

The drivers further demanded that the commission charged should not be more than 10% of the total fare, alongside the establishment of driver welfare schemes covering insurance and safety, and transparency in fare calculation.

On that basis, the Commission invited inDrive to a hearing scheduled for Monday, October 5, 2026, at 11 am, at the Commission's Lagos office atafawa Balewa Square.

"I am further directed to invite you to our office for a Case Conference scheduled. Kindly ensure to attend, failure to do so will amount to defiance and is punishable under Section 8(2) of the PCC Act, 2004," the invitation warned.

Drivers' PCC case against inDrive and Bolt

Technext reported in August that a group of e-hailing drivers in Lagos, identified simply as the Nigerian Drivers Liberation Movement, had dragged ride-hailing companies Uber, Bolt and inDrive before the Public Complaints Commission to demand improved welfare from the companies. The drivers said they resorted to the measure after everything else they had tried, including strikes and shutdowns, had failed.

In a communique seen by Technext, the group described the visit to the PCC as a new approach aimed at "reclaiming" their industry.

"Today's visit to the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) is not like the strikes or shutdown actions we have taken in the past. Those actions have shown us one thing: we need a new approach to reclaim our industry. That new approach has brought us to the PCC, and from here, we move to the next stage," the communique reads.

According to the drivers, who spoke with Technext, the PCC's invitation to inDrive is the next step following their complaints. They said the complaint was filed against the three dominant e-hailing companies at the time, and that inDrive happens to be the first to be investigated as the Commission is taking on the companies separately. With Uber currently no longer operating in Nigeria, Bolt is left as the next possible target of the inquiry.

The development also comes after the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON) declared a mega protest in October that will see the union shut down the Bolt and inDrive apps in Lagos.

According to a statement signed by the Chairman of the union's Lagos State Council, Comrade Jaiyesimi Azeez, rising operational costs — including vehicle financing obligations, fuel expenses, maintenance costs, insurance, data subscriptions, government levies and other daily expenses — have placed enormous financial pressure on drivers.

The union said app companies have, however, refused to adjust their existing fare and commission structures to reflect these realities, raising serious concerns about the sustainability of the profession.

AUATON said it will be demanding a fare review, noting that app companies must review fares to reflect the prevailing economic realities and the actual cost of operating a vehicle. The union added that it will also push for a substantial reduction in commissions, with a target of not more than 10 per cent, subject to negotiations and a transparent explanation of any additional charges or deductions.

That 10 per cent target mirrors the commission cap the Drivers Liberation Movement is seeking through the PCC, placing a matching demand before the Commission through its inquiry and before the platforms through AUATON's protest. With the case conference fixed for October 5 — the same month AUATON has earmarked for shutting down the Bolt and inDrive apps in Lagos — the sector's fare and commission practices face formal investigation and street-level pressure in the same window.