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Lagos drivers called an indefinite withdrawal of services from October 12.
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Their demands concern fares, commissions, welfare and operating costs.
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The union wants fleet owners to suspend daily payment obligations during the strike.
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Bolt has proposed talks, while the extent of disruption remains unverified.
October 12, (THEWILL) – Lagos ride-hailing drivers have called an indefinite strike against Bolt and inDrive from Monday, October 12, over fares and commissions they say leave earnings insufficient to cover operating costs.
However, withdrawing their services creates another financial problem for drivers who must make daily payments to vehicle owners. Their union is seeking temporary relief from those obligations while the action continues.
The Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria’s Lagos council said the strike would remain in place until further notice or satisfactory progress on its demands. A notice signed by state chairman Jaiyesimi Olalabi Azeez also appealed to fleet partners to avoid penalising participating drivers.
Bolt has called for negotiations and urged drivers to continue working during discussions. The available reports do not establish how many drivers have withdrawn their services or the extent of disruption across Lagos.
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Drivers Seek Breathing Room on Vehicle Payments
AUATON’s appeal to fleet owners identifies an immediate constraint on the strike. Drivers who stop accepting trips lose the income from which they normally meet vehicle payments.
“During the industrial action, drivers will not be generating their normal revenue from which daily remittance obligations ordinarily arise,” the union said in its notice.
Consequently, it asked fleet owners and managers to ease payment requirements and operating targets temporarily. No agreement granting that relief was established in the reporting reviewed.
Meanwhile, the union says drivers are carrying fuel, maintenance, tyre, insurance, data and financing expenses. Its complaints also include welfare arrangements and protection against what it describes as arbitrary account deactivation. These are the union’s allegations, rather than findings by a regulator.
Bolt Proposes Talks With Driver Representatives
Responding ahead of the action, Bolt acknowledged pressure on drivers’ earnings and proposed a roundtable with AUATON and driver representatives.
“Drivers are central to the ride-hailing ecosystem, and we recognise the economic realities they are navigating,” said Weyinmi Aghadiuno, Bolt’s head of regulatory and policy for Africa.
The company said it would discuss operating costs, charges, transparency and welfare. However, its response did not announce a new fare structure or commission reduction. An inDrive response was not available in the reports reviewed.
The strike notice alone does not establish that either app is unavailable throughout Lagos. Participation and service availability remain to be verified. For drivers with daily vehicle commitments, the immediate uncertainty is more specific; fleet owners have been asked to pause collections, but have not been shown to have agreed.
Joy Onuorah is a business journalist and brand communications specialist covering financial markets, artificial intelligence, digital economy, and the ideas reshaping business across Africa and the global market. Beyond her reporting for TheWill, Joy uses brand strategy, storytelling, copywriting, and high-value SEO to help brands build lasting market authority.
