An unidentified e-hailing driver has collapsed while on duty in the Ikeja area of Lagos State. According to a video seen by Technext, the driver can be seen lying unconscious on the wheels of
An unidentified e-hailing driver has collapsed while on duty in the Ikeja area of Lagos State. According to a video seen by Technext, the driver can be seen lying unconscious on the wheels of his Toyota Camry vehicle as fellow drivers tried to revive him to no avail.
After failing to revive him, the colleagues decided to reach out to the general public for people who could identify the driver’s family and take him to safety.
“Please, this guy is currently unconscious right now on Amore Street, off Toyin Street, Ikeja. None of us here knows him. Please, if anyone knows him, they should please contact his family,” the drivers announced.
E-hailing drivers
Some of the e-hailing drivers further blamed the condition of their colleagues on the tedious demands of the job, noting that unfavourable working conditions and the struggle to make ends meet despite low fares are pushing drivers to spend an unhealthy number of hours on the road.
“If only we know what these app companies have subjected drivers to. Lots of drivers are now working tirelessly just to meet up, picking ridiculous prices, running Abuja inside Lagos. No time to rest, pressure from fleet companies, and private owners of HP (hire purchase) and rentals. Drivers no longer go for medical check-ups. They are working tirelessly, yet they still can’t meet up with bills. The app companies are the ones gaining, while drivers are at the losing end. Yet we’re the engine of this business,” one driver lamented.
Read also: Lagos drivers to shut down Bolt and inDrive in October, demand 10% commission, fare restructure
Another driver pointed out that the street in question is a hub for drivers who spend the night sleeping in their cars. He noted that there are always about 20-30 drivers who park there to sleep overnight.
“I wonder how much drivers are making that would make them be sleeping inside a car till morning without proper ventilation in the car, and to the detriment of their health. It’s really sad we are going through so much suffering all in the name of Uber work, and we never prioritise our own health,” he said.
Over the years, drivers have continued to clamour for better working conditions and safety environments. One such complaint is that many drivers find themselves spending longer hours behind the wheel trying to make enough money to cover skyrocketing operational costs, individual and family obligations, as well as obligations to car owners, as most drivers do not own the cars they work with.
Many app companies like Bolt insist they have a feature that locks drivers out of their apps if they exceed a maximum online time, usually between 15 and 16 straight hours. But there are also debates about the efficacy of these features because most drivers juggle two or more apps, so it would be almost impossible to find a driver logged into one app for 15 hours.
Thus, it eventually behoves the driver to independently control the time they spend driving so as to avoid a breakdown of both the man and the machine. Some drivers agree with this stance, noting that the pursuit of improved income should not make drivers neglect themselves.
“Everything is not app company. Majority of drivers that sleep outside choose to do so by themselves. Some of them have houses in Ikorodu or Abule Egba axis, what stops them from going home? Let’s learn to live within our income. If you allow the expected living condition to determine your income, you will just kill yourself on hustling,” one driver argued.
Another one advocated for drivers to properly manage their trips so that they would be working closer to their homes during the evenings and nights.
“Drivers that stay in Ikorodu will be in Ikeja around 7 pm and be dragging trips going to Ajah with drivers that live around Ajah. If you stay in Ikorodu, once it’s 5 pm, anywhere you are, start looking for trips that will take you close to Ikorodu, so that after dropping your rider, it will be easy for you to go home and have a sound sleep,” he advocated.
