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Uber taxi drivers demand a reversal to old fare charges

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Striking Uber drivers protest at Uhuru Park in Nairobi on March 2, 2017. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA | NMG

Drivers on the online taxi-hailing platform Uber on Thursday returned to the streets, demanding reversal of the 35 per cent price cut that came into effect in July last year.

The drivers also demanded that Uber reduces the commission it takes from their total earnings before tax from 25 per cent to 10 per cent.

On Thursday’s was the fourth time the drivers had gone on strike since the price cut was announced.

The strike was, however, called off after intervention by the Transport PS Irungu Nyakera who is leading negotiations between the drivers and Uber.

Details have emerged that previous meetings held this week with Uber and other stakeholders among them the Transport ministry, Competition Authority of Kenya, AA Kenya, National Transport Safety and Authority and Presidential Delivery Unit were not fruitful.

Sources say Uber proposed to increase the prices to Sh45 per kilometre and Sh300 for the shortest rides. Uber’s proposed cost per minute and base fare remained unclear. The drivers rejected the proposed rates terming them uneconomical.

Last year, Uber cut prices to Sh35 per kilometre down from Sh60. It also reduced its charges per minute by Sh1 to Sh3 and cut the pricing of short rides by Sh100 to Sh200 while base fare remained unchanged at Sh100.

The proposed rates by the drivers are Sh60 per kilometre, Sh4 per minute with a base fare of Sh100 and Sh300 for shortest trips.

Uber said in a statement it was aware of the concerns raised by its drivers and was consulting with the relevant stakeholders in search for an agreeable solution.

“We have always promised that we would continue to monitor partner economics and if anything changed — we’d reassess this price change. We stand by this promise and we are always reviewing partner economics to ensure drivers using the app continue to thrive,” said Uber sub-Saharan Africa general manager Alon Lits.

Uber drivers in Nairobi and Mombasa started the go-slow on Monday last week. On Thursday last week they took the dispute with Uber to the Parliament where, in their petition to the chairman of the parliamentary committee on transport Maina Kamanda, asked for a fare determination structure that sets the minimum cost of journeys to various estates in the city.

“We want this problem solved and a permanent solution that is acceptable to everyone found, until then we will continue mobilise for demonstrations until Uber goes to pre-July rates,” said Digital Taxi Association of Kenya chairman David Muteru.

However, the strike took an ugly turn after striking motorists vandalised cars belonging their colleagues not taking part in the demonstration.

The incensed drivers also disrupted traffic flow in the upmarket Kilimani. Rogue protesters took to spraying motor oil into the cars’ interiors and broke side mirrors of the vehicles.

Their actions caused a gridlock in the area with fears that the situation would spill over to Mombasa Road and Waiyaki Way as they took to blocking more roads.

Police chief inspector Alphonse Ngundo, OCS Central Police Station, warned drivers to uphold the law while on strike.

“People are allowed to picket as long as they do it within the law. Any driver who poses any form of danger to the public should know that they will be arrested and charged accordingly,” he said.