What Lagos Users and Drivers Really Think About E-Hailing Charges

In Lagos, Nigeria’s economic hub, the use of e-hailing services like Bolt, inDrive, Uber, and others has become a major means of transportation for those who can afford it. With the commuting hassle that comes with navigating the business of this megacity, whose population has swelled to over 20 million people, these platforms have become a preferred alternative to escape—not the traffic—but the discomfort of being stuck in one while inside a jam-packed Maruwa (tricycle) or ‘Danfo’ yellow minibus under the scorching sun. It also gives one, even if temporarily, the privilege to escape scenes of Agbero stopping commercial vehicles and demanding ‘their’ daily tax.

Hence, since 2014 when Uber officially launched its services in Lagos, followed by Bolt in 2016, and then much later by inDrive in 2019, commuters, particularly those in the middle and upper class, rely on their services for daily transportation. Citing one e-hailing service, Bolt—which is arguably the most popular in the country—reached its 250 millionth ride in Nigeria in 2023. This means that over the course of its operation in Nigeria, from 2016 to 2023, Nigerians averaged 57 million rides on the platform yearly. This means that at least 97,847 rides are booked daily. But the figure could be much higher, since the adoption of e-hailing services has grown over the years, particularly in Lagos.

“I started using much of these e-hailing services when I moved to Lagos about a year and six months ago,” a Lagos resident, who preferred to be called by his first name, Joseph, told Neusroom.

“For me, it’s extremely exhausting using commercial buses here because you have to deal with the unruly conductors, the agberos that delay your vehicle because they want to collect their money, and the lack of comfort in the buses. So, many times, I just have to book a ride and save myself from that discomfort.”

While there is a growing use of e-hailing services by Nigerians like Joseph, drivers of these services have raised concerns over what they described as “excessive commissions taken by app companies,” and are planning to down their tools in Lagos on May 1, which is globally celebrated as Workers’ Day.

According to a statement by the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON), “the union is protesting against alleged poor wages, unjust deactivations, insecurity, and unsafe working conditions.”

How Much Do E-hailing Services Charge?

The commission that the various e-hailing apps charge their drivers varies, and so does the fee they charge users. InDrive, which has become the second most downloaded e-hailing app in Nigeria, charges the drivers a commission of 10 percent for every trip. For Bolt, drivers are charged 30 percent, while Uber charges 35 percent.

For instance, Bolt, which has different prices for their three categories—Bolt, Comfort, and Economy—charges ₦5,500, ₦7,300, and ₦5,000 respectively for a trip of 7.6 km, from Ogba to, Allen Avenue. This means that for this trip, the driver would pay a commission of ₦1,650, ₦2,190, and ₦1,500 for the three categories, respectively. For this same distance, inDrive offered a price of ₦5,200, with the option that allows users to either bid down the price or increase it. With this price, the commission that the driver would pay is about ₦150.

Leonard, an inDrive driver, told Neusroom that while the commissions are exorbitant, he does not believe that AUATON is speaking for the drivers. He questioned the validity of the union.

“I am not a member of the said union,” Leonard, who was laid off from his banking job when his department in the bank was closed down, told Neusroom. “Most drivers I know are not members of this union. So, who are they? Some people would conjure a union and share the positions among themselves. In no distant time, you’ll see that they’ll start taxing drivers and making money off their colleagues.”

However, the Lagos driver, who claims he makes ₦20,000 per day, said he’ll join the strike on May 1.

“I am not going to work on that day because I believe that these apps are ripping off drivers. Particularly with Bolt and Uber, it’s as if you’re working for them.”

Because of the higher commission in other e-hailing apps, Leonard now sticks with inDrive.

“The last time I used my Bolt app was in December when I took a woman from Surulere to the Island. The cost of the trip was about ₦18,000, but before we reached, she was charged ₦23,000.

Aside from the price and commissions, the services of these two platforms are different. When in traffic, the price a Bolt user would pay increases as the traffic prolongs. This is not the case with inDrive, where the price remains the same from the time of booking to the end of the ride. This implies that Bolt users often end up paying higher than the price they booked.

Hence, for Leonard’s drive to the Island, Bolt would charge him a commission of ₦6,900, which implies that he made a gain of ₦16,100 (excluding petrol cost).

“Some of my colleagues think that since Uber and Bolt charge users higher, they are making money. But I found that to be untrue. The 30 or 35 percent charge is often so much that it pays you as a driver to use inDrive.”

However, Opeyemi, another driver, disagrees.

“InDrive favours passengers more than it favours drivers,” he told Neusroom. While Opeyemi believes that the commission on other platforms is exorbitant, he said he’ll not partake in the strike.

“Well, I am not a member of the union, and inDrive’s commission is relatively low, so I am going to work that day.”

Yet, he maintains that while inDrive’s commission is low, the price users pay is low too.

Another driver, who spoke to Neusroom on the condition of anonymity, says he’ll work on May 1, but he disapproved of the high commission

Neusroom reached out to Bolt and InDrive for comments but received no response at the time of this publication. AUATON was also reached for comment but there was no response.

For commuters, their choice of which e-hailing service to use depends on what the prices are showing at the moment they want to book a ride.

“Before I book a ride, I first compare prices on inDrive and Bolt,” Joseph, said. “While I am inclined to choose the cheaper one, I also check things like traffic before making the decision. If there is traffic, I am more likely to go for inDrive.”

Ann, another user, said she has observed that the prices within these apps are not substantially different for short distances.

“In my knowledge, for short distances, the price gap between inDrive and Bolt is not much. But this tends to change for long distances, where I’ve noticed that Bolt charges more.”

For commuters like Joseph, these apps are a lifeline through the city’s daily grind. For drivers like Leonard and Opeyemi, they’re both a source of income. But as May 1 approaches, the tension between convenience and compensation lingers. And while the apps remain silent for now, the voices of those who use and power them every day are growing louder—demanding fairness, transparency, and dignity on the roads they share.