The Lagos State House of Assembly has summoned five leading ride-hailing platforms—Uber, Bolt, Indrive, Rida, and the state-backed LagRide—for a public hearing over alleged labour rights violations, safety lapses, and exploitative business practices affecting thousands of drivers in the state.
The hearing, scheduled for Tuesday, June 17, follows a petition submitted by the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON), accusing the platforms of widespread non-compliance with national labour agreements and endangering the welfare of their drivers.
In a statement released Monday, AUATON’s Lagos chapter spokesperson, Mr. Steven Iwindoye, confirmed the summons, stating the Assembly aims to address rising unrest within the gig economy and push for reforms to ensure fairness and safety in ride-hailing operations.
AUATON’s Lagos Chairman, Mr. Azeez Jaiyesimi, said the union’s petition—titled “Public Petition Against Uber, Bolt, Indrive, Rida, and LagRide for Non-Compliance with the National Collective Agreement and Corporate Negligence”—calls out the platforms for unfair commission policies, unilateral pricing decisions, inadequate safety protocols, and the suppression of driver union activities.
Among the major grievances listed in the petition are:
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Driver profiling and poor passenger verification processes
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Lack of welfare and emergency support systems
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Absence of transparent pricing structures or negotiation frameworks
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Failure to implement collective bargaining agreements signed with the union
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Poor performance of state-owned LagRide in underserved areas
The union noted that many drivers using the LagRide platform, especially in areas like Ikorodu and Epe, rarely receive trip requests, while promised app features such as daily earning summaries and insurance support remain unavailable.
AUATON has also raised alarms about data privacy violations, claiming that some platforms enforce data policies based on foreign laws that clash with Nigeria’s data protection regulations.
The union, which has long advocated for a unified federal regulatory framework for the e-hailing industry, said the current patchwork of state laws—over 26 different regulations—subjects drivers to multiple taxations and unsafe working conditions, including exposure to kidnapping due to poor passenger profiling.
The Lagos State Assembly is expected to use the hearing to evaluate compliance with national labour standards and propose reforms aimed at protecting gig workers’ rights across the state.
Stakeholders, including ride-hailing companies, drivers’ representatives, and government agencies, are expected to participate in the proceedings.