El Sindicato de Transportistas Basados en Aplicaciones de Nigeria (AUATON) ha pedido a los conductores que dejen de operar en la plataforma inDrive, citando lo que describió como tarifas ridículas. La postura fue contenida en un comunicado emitido por el presidente del Consejo del Estado de Lagos del sindicato, el camarada Jaiyesimi Azeez.

En el comunicado, titulado HOW INDRIVE LOW-FARE PRICING IS DESTROYING THE DIGNITY OF PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS, el presidente dijo que el problema central era el modelo de negociación de tarifas de inDrive, que describió como insostenible y una amenaza para los conductores.

He said the model has, for years, encouraged riders to bargain down the value of a professional driver’s service. Rather than setting ride prices according to the real cost of operation, he said, passengers are invited to name what they are willing to pay, often at amounts that do not reflect fuel costs, vehicle maintenance, depreciation, insurance, traffic, or the driver’s time.

According to him, the result is a race to the bottom, with pressure spreading beyond a single platform and shaping what passengers expect across the wider e-hailing industry.

“ This model has gradually changed passengers’ expectations. Many riders now believe they should decide the value of a driver’s labour, and this mentality has spread across the e-hailing industry ,” Comrade Azeez said.

He said the consequences are severe, arguing that drivers now work longer hours for less income, vehicle maintenance has become unaffordable, many drivers are trapped in debt, professional standards are being undermined, and the wider industry is being pushed toward unsustainable pricing.

Azeez added that inDrive can only continue to operate this model if drivers allow it. He warned that drivers who accept what he described as unsustainable fares are, knowingly or unknowingly, helping weaken the profession for everyone else.

“ I f we want to restore dignity to our profession we must stop supporting pricing models that drive fares lower and lower. I therefore appeal to every professional e-hailing driver to carefully consider where they invest their time and effort. Stand together. Support fair pricing. Reject fares that cannot sustain your business. And stop competing ourselves into poverty ,” he said.

inDrive insiste en que su modelo de precios ofrece libertad

inDrive, por su parte, ha mantenido siempre que su modelo de pujas da libertad a los conductores para ganar lo que desean y a los pasajeros para pagar lo que desean. La empresa también sostiene que, a diferencia de la mayoría de las plataformas de transporte por aplicación, su sistema permite que pasajeros y conductores acuerden la tarifa antes de que comience un viaje.

Según el representante nacional Timothy Oladimeji, la plataforma tiene un punto de referencia mínimo que es justo para los conductores. Explicó que el sistema de negociación de la empresa desalienta la explotación al establecer límites tanto sobre cuánto pueden regatear los pasajeros como sobre cuánto pueden regatear los conductores. Esto, dijo, ha brindado equilibrio.

“ There is a fair minimum benchmark. Our bargaining system discourages exploitation by putting guard rails on how low passengers can bargain and how high drivers can bargain as well. Our social listening and research with drivers show that inDrive has been the balance point for both riders and passengers , ” Oladimeji said.

También señaló que, con el equilibrio que ofrece la plataforma, los conductores pueden tomar decisiones bien informadas sobre los viajes y los pasajeros pueden obtener acuerdos justos. Así, el modelo de negociación de la plataforma garantiza que la oferta y la demanda interactúen de forma natural, sin interferencia de algoritmos.

“ Achieving marketplace balance can be challenging. Our bargaining model ensures that demand and supply interact naturally, without algorithmic interference ,” said the Nigeria lead of inDrive.