Digital taxi drivers have begun imposing illegal charges per trip, protesting alleged low pay by ride-hailing firms such as Uber and Bolt.
A growing number of passengers in Nairobi have reported cases where digital taxi drivers have printed price lists with higher fares than those indicated on the apps whenever a rider requests a ride.
Additionally, the operators have illegally set minimum fares at Sh300, which in most cases lead to confrontations with passengers at the time of payment.
For instance, a spot check showed that some riders are now compelled to pay an extra fare of between Sh100 and Sh200 for trips priced at between Sh500 and Sh1,000 on the official taxi-haling apps.
For trips priced at between Sh300 and Sh500 on the official app, riders are now paying an extra amount of between Sh100 and Sh150.
“We will not be able to operate under the rates of Uber, Bolt, and Faras. Although you will be able to find us through those platforms, we will have to negotiate the charges,” a fare print-out in one the hailing taxis read.
Uber warned its drivers against the illegal charges and urged aggrieved passengers to report all cases of illegal fares for disciplinary action.
“Requesting additional payment over and above what is displayed on the app goes against our Community Guidelines and we encourage riders to report such instances in the app for further investigation,” Imran Manji, head of Uber in East Africa said in an emailed response.
Uber operators early this month warned that they will start to over-charge riders unless the ride-hailing firms include them in discussions on the pricing models, arguing that they (drivers) incur the bulk of operational costs.
“We shall be advising our members to negotiate with passengers on the pricing of trips since the current rates are painfully unfair and it‘s unsustainable.
“Those customers who will not agree to pay the extra charge will simply not be ferried and they’ll not have an alternative because we’ll have a universal agreement,” Zakaria Mwangi, Secretary General of the Ridehail Transport Association said in a phone interview last month.
According to him, the drivers meet between 80 to 90 percent of all operating costs but the taxi apps have been adamant in involving them in setting the costs of trips.
“The person who sets the pricing does not care because their income is guaranteed, and they don’t bear the cost of running the business.
“That is why they have sustained the unfair pricing regime because they don’t relate to our pain points, but we’ve said we’re not taking it anymore” Mr Mwangi added.
In July 2022, the government compelled e-hailing companies to accept a flat commission fee of 18 percent from 25 percent in a bid to protect drivers who had protested thinning margins due to the high commissions.
