‘Our app is our park’- AUATON faction faults airport car parks for Uber/Bolt drivers

A faction of Nigeria’s e-hailing drivers’ union, the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON) has faulted a call for the Nigerian airport authorities to make car parks available to e-hailing drivers, describing it as going against the union and industry’s principles and jurisdiction. This was disclosed in a statement sent to Technext and signed by the acting factional president, David Nosa and general secretary, Ayoade Ibrahim.

Recall that in a Technext story where e-hailing drivers accused the Lagos airport authorities of asking them to pay N45,000 naira and wear a Bolt-branded uniform before they could be allowed to use airport taxi parking facilities, the Adedamola-led union had proposed an alternative approach where the ministry of aviation would rent out an airport parking space for its members in exchange for a daily token payment.

The union’s faction has however faulted that move. According to their statement, every union has its defined jurisdiction and area of operations and based on that, the AUATON cannot operate parks in the first place as it goes against its principles and jurisdiction.

“Our union was established to focus on technology and applications that connect us to customers through platforms like Uber, Bolt, and Indrive etc. We have two applications: customer applications linked to companies and driver applications that transport customers. These applications work together to meet our requirements as app-based workers. Drivers who go to the airport are only supposed to pick up and drop off customers, not to form parks. They may wait for extended periods before receiving another request. If there’s a scheduled plane landing, they can wait briefly for passengers to clear their luggage,” the statement said.

The faction also faulted Bolt’s decision to pay for a park for their drivers. According to them, that was a mistake that led to the creation of a cabal that is causing problems at the airport. They also pointed out that sponsoring the park runs contrary to Bolt’s policy and as such cannot be accepted.

“Our app is our pack, and we cannot cause problems for another union that covers a different jurisdiction. We emphasize that our members should not be forced to buy uniforms or participate in negotiations that do not represent our union’s interests,” the faction said.

The faction also said the union is not part of any toutish operations that involve harassing members. They said the AUATON certification is different from traditional unions, and members who are harassed in the name of the union should report such incidents to the police and union secretariat immediately. They said legal action will be taken against those who engage in such activities as touting is not allowed in AUATON

FAAN already made concessions for AUATON and app drivers

Following talks about negotiating with the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to expand its policy on taxi parking to accommodate app drivers, the factional general secretary of the union, Ayoade Ibrahim said that shouldn’t be an issue in the first place. In a chat with this reporter, Ayoade said FAAN has already made provisions for app drivers, granting them access to the airport for drop-offs and pick-ups. He said the only thing open for negotiation is the extension of time allowed for drop-offs and pick-ups.

“I’d like to clarify that our union, AUATON, operates under a different framework. Our establishment is based on application-based transportation, not traditional road transportation. Our principle is to minimize stay time in one location, as our drivers need to pick up other customers either immediately at the same spot or after changing their location. We do not condone staying in one place for an extended period, let alone permanently. Our operation is designed to be dynamic and efficient, ensuring that our drivers are constantly on the move to serve multiple customers,” he said.

He further explained that there is a difference between ‘parking space’ and ‘running a park’. He pointed out that in airport settings, there are designated spaces for vehicles to drop off and pick up customers. Here, vehicles can only stay for a brief time to complete their pickup or drop-off tasks. This is therefore where it becomes critical to negotiate the length of time an e-haling driver could be allowed to wait and for app drivers not to remain at the airport for an extended period of time.  

“This clarification is crucial to ensure the smooth operation of airport activities and to prevent any potential disruptions or congestion,” he said.