Transportation
Uber, Bolt Drivers In Lagos State To Pay N110000 For Operational Permit
While the city of Lagos is yet to get over the ban of motorcycles and rickshaws (Keke Napep) in some major areas in the state, the Lagos State Government is coming up with yet another policy and this time, it has to do with Uber, Bolt and other taxi-hailing companies in the state. The Lagos State Government has come up with what it called Operational Permit for all.
According to a tweet that went viral on Wednesday, the tweet broke the news that Lagos Government is coming with the policy which will make all taxi drivers pay N110,000 per vehicle.
BREAKING: Each Uber driver in Lagos state to pay N110,000 for "operational permit".
— the Morris Monye factor (@Morris_Monye) February 12, 2020
According to reports, the government is implementing the laws for the drivers. Failure to comply with the rules means that your car may get impounded. The taskforce has already set to work by impounding cars that are yet to get their permit and hackney.
According to reports, one of the requirements is the compulsory card of the Lagos Drivers institute (LASDRI) before they can operate in the state.
Why is the government coming after them? It was disclosed that the car-hailing services have failed to obtain Hackney permits, which will change their vehicle registration to commercial from private.
A source in the Lagos Vehicle Inspection Services said commercial vehicle drivers, Uber, Bolt, and other car-sharing platforms are expected to be certified by the Lagos Drivers’ Institute before operation commences in the State.
He disclosed that Uber hadn’t paid an operator license fee to the state government. “You need to have what we call operator license, which Uber and others were supposed to pay to the government.”
This has led to the impounding of some Uber driver’s car. The driver had to pay N60,000 to retrieve his vehicle.
However, in a conversation with one of the VIS officials said that drivers on car-hailing platforms do not necessarily need Hackney permits except some that operate outside the operation model of the car-hailing services, by picking passengers like commercial buses.
He added that when they are caught, the Police will have to request for Hackney permit, which the VIS official said costs about N3, 000 and above, depending on the engine capacity of the vehicle.
Meanwhile, Head of communications in West Africa, Uber, Efosa Aiyevbomwan, has assured stakeholders that it would continue to ensure its operations align with best practices.
In a statement, he said, “Uber continues to work closely with all relevant stakeholders in Lagos to ensure that our operations align with best practices locally and internationally, whilst also ensuring that drivers continue to earn a living and riders are able to move from point A to B, comfortably and conveniently, at the touch of a button.”
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