Drivers and customers of Uber in Abuja have expressed mixed reactions to the reported decision by the ride-hailing company to discontinue its operations in Nigeria.

Speaking in separate interviews on Thursday, some described the development as disappointing and likely to affect their income and transportation costs; others said the exit would provide an opportunity for Nigerians to patronise indigenous ride-hailing companies.

An Uber driver, Friday Ayegba, said he was saddened by the development, noting that the platform provided drivers with bonuses and promotional announcements that helped reduce their operational expenses.

Mr Ayegba, who said he had driven with Uber for almost three years, said the platform had become an important source of income for his family.

“Uber is very important to my family because what I earn from Uber is what I use to support my family.

“I have achieved a lot from them, and leaving Nigeria now will affect us because we don’t have any app that offers us promos and bonuses like Uber,” he said.

He said the company’s departure would negatively affect his income, though he would have to seek alternatives among other ride-hailing platforms.

Mr Ayegba said he would particularly miss Uber’s navigation system, describing its map as accurate and reliable.

“Anywhere we are going, once you pick the place, the map is accurate. Their money and fare are also good compared to others.

“Uber normally gives us driver promos that help us adjust our fuel expenditure, but now that they are going, it is going to affect us much,” he said.

A customer, Mercy Marcus, also expressed sadness over the development, saying Uber had been one of the most affordable means of transportation available to her.

“Uber is one of the cheapest means of transportation. Among Bolt, InDrive and Uber, Uber is cheaper,” she said.

Ms Marcus said the departure would increase her transportation expenses, adding that she would miss the affordability and comfort associated with the service.

“It was comfortable, very organised and cheap transport. I’m really going to miss that about Uber — being the cheapest and most affordable comfort ride I could get,” she said.

Another customer, Kasim Abdullah, however, said he did not expect Uber’s exit to significantly affect his transportation needs because other ride-hailing platforms were available.

Mr Abdullah said Bolt and InDrive, among other emerging services, could provide alternatives to Uber.

“There is Bolt. There is InDrive, and there are other ones that are coming up now,” he said.

He said he usually compared Uber and Bolt when requesting rides and had observed that Bolt often responded faster, while Uber was generally cheaper.

He said that Uber’s departure could create room for other companies to expand, rather than leave a permanent gap in the ride-hailing market.

“I don’t believe that a company will just sell off their business in a location and vacate like that. I always believe that another entity or company will take over,” he said.

Mr Abdullahi added that many drivers already operated across multiple platforms, making it easier for them to migrate to other services.

Another driver, Emmanuel Ogbor, said had no particular concern about Uber’s departure, arguing that the company’s commission and the rising cost of fuel had made its service less attractive to him.

Mr Ogbor said Uber took about 30 per cent from rides, while drivers also had to contend with high fuel costs.

“With the cost of fuel in Nigeria, we are buying fuel for N1,360 now, and they are taking 30 per cent off every ride,” he said.

He described InDrive’s reported commission of 6.1 per cent as fairer and urged Nigerians to patronise indigenous ride-hailing companies.

According to him, Uber’s departure will not personally affect his income because he used the platform mainly as a side hustle.

“As they are departing, we’ll have more time to focus on our own indigenous companies like InDrive,” he said.

Mr Ogbor also played down the possible impact of the development on government revenue, saying taxes paid by drivers would continue to be generated through other e-hailing platforms.

“I don’t know how much the government is collecting from them, but as an e-hailing service company, the same tax that we drivers are paying is the same tax that we are paying in every other company.

“So, if they depart, the income and tax will also shift from them to another company,” he said.

He, however, called on the government to support alternatives similar to Uber.

“I have nothing to miss,” Mr Ogbor said when asked what he would miss about the platform.

(NAN)