FEDPA partners indigenous app company

Etim Effiong

The Professional E-Hailing Drivers and Private Owners Association (PEDPA) on Tuesday said it has entered partnership with an indigenous application company for better condition of service.

National President, FEDPA, Mr Idris Shonuga said this during a press conference in Lagos.

Shonuga stated that both drivers and riders endure the shortcomings in the e-hailing industry because of non-existent of any kind of mutually written agreement between the owners of the cars and the app companies.

“Over the years across the globe both drivers and riders endure the shortcomings in the e-hailing industry.

“They were not able to overcome these shortcomings because of faulty foundation.

“It was almost impossible for government across the globe to set up a regulation to repel these shortcomings,” Shonuga said.

According to him, the union has following the drivers’ agitations embarked on evaluation of other Indigenous App companies that would work with the templates and provide drivers with a good welfare package for riders’ satisfaction.

He said due to the relentless effort by PEDPA, the association has entered partnership with an Indigenous App companies, Active Ride and My Cab that has shown interest to meet all the demands of the drivers and give all the needed support.

He reiterated that dictatorial practice of app companies affected drivers the most by not getting adequate value for their service and their inability to define their status in business they are neither an employee nor independent contractor hence to working in limbo.

“This is the first time in the history of the e-hailing Industry for an App Company to Partner with the Union Body.

“This will enable the Union to protect the collective interests of the drivers’ community, decisions can now be jointly taken and approved before it is binding on both parties.

“In view of the above, we are very sure that the industry will once again bounce back in victory as drivers, riders and lease partners will now have value for their various services,” he said.

The president said that the current inflation has led to the prices of goods and services to go up by over 200 per cent so there should be an upward review in fare to meet the current economic realities.

“Most drivers are no longer able to maintain their cars and cannot manage the riders well as they most times transfer their aggression on the riders whom they felt are underpaying them.

“The selfless five-star services that they have rendered, Worse still, the App Companies charge humongous commission of 20 to 25% of each trip,” he noted.

The president appeal to the public to throw their weight behind this Indigenous App company for a better working conditions adding that it would greatly improve the E-hailing services and contribute greatly to the country’s GDP.

At the conference in a separate interview, the Managing Director, Active Ride, Mr Ajayi Ayodeji said that he would ensure that rider and driver would be adequately profiled to curtail insecurity in the industry,

Ayodeji said that 15 per cent commission would be charged on each trip as against 20 per cent charged before and out of the 15per cent, 5 per cent would be dropped into the driver’s cooperative wallet and can be accessed for an emergency.