Drivers blame falling earnings for illegal fare hikes on ride-hailing apps

It is the same issue at the heart of this latest strike, but this time it is different. A growing number of passengers have complained about cases of harassment by digital cab drivers demanding payment of higher fares across a number of ride-hailing platforms. 

This is combined with a notice issued by the Organisation of Online Drivers, stating that passengers will now be charged higher fees than the rates listed by platforms such as Uber, Bolt, and Faras. 

The cab drivers are saying that while they will continue to source clients on the ride-hailing apps, the prices of these services will be at their discretion.

Over the last few days, passengers have taken to the internet to highlight illegal fare increases imposed on them by online cab drivers in and around Nairobi.

A food vendor calls the situation crazy, saying, "Sometime this week my fare was 1100 and the guy wanted 1700."

This is not an isolated incident. Just yesterday, an X user claimed to have been assaulted by a driver who had locked her inside the car for failing to pay an extra 300 shillings. In a video recorded by a passenger, the driver can be heard agitating for higher payment.

In the wake of this crisis, we met several drivers to ascertain these claims and to find out why they had resorted to the illegal fare hikes. Harrison Munala, a veteran in the business, driving for about nine years, says he left a lucrative job to join Uber when the app first entered the country.

"When Uber entered Kenya, I had a sister working in Dubai named Irene. I asked her to help me get a loan to buy a car and join Uber because everyone was happy about it. We got a Toyota Passo and entered the Uber business."

He says the beginning was very rosy. "The rates were good, and the drivers were happy. We used to provide bottled water to clients. I gave clients Dasani water and had a hotspot in the car. I would speak English to clients even if I wasn't fluent, asking, 'Do you need wifi?'"

But those days are long gone. Harrison says ride-hailing apps have been changing their terms day in and day out, giving drivers little to no room for negotiation. "You could be in Maasai Mara on a trip, and when you go online, the app requires you to first sign and agree to a new contract, which is very lengthy, even if it's nighttime and you want to leave. So you have to say yes because you're looking for work to get you out of there."

Much worse, he says, is the massive driver on-boarding drive that the ride-hailing apps have undertaken in recent years. This has meant fewer trips for each driver, translating into low earnings, if any. 

"There are drivers who wake up in the morning and until evening, they haven't had a single trip. Since morning, and I can show you on my applications, I haven't had any trips. And that driver is me."

Steven Ndonga, another driver in Nairobi, has shifted to the new but illegal pricing system. "The app charges competitive prices, sometimes 100, 200, 130, 70 shillings, which have no profit at all."

He says the prices per kilometre on the ride-hailing apps have gone down despite the exponential jump in fuel prices and the overall cost of living. "Just imagine, since 2016, Uber was charging 60 per kilometre, and now it has dropped to 27. Back then, public toilets charged 5 shillings; now it's 20 shillings. It's just hand-to-mouth survival."

When asked why they still wanted to get clients through the app but charge on their own terms, Steven said, "If they give me a client, I pay them; it's not that I don't pay."

Research from Oxford University in partnership with The German Development Agency GIZ also highlights the challenges of those working in the digital space.

 Caroline Omware, a senior researcher at Qhala who participated in the Fairwork project under the two organizations, says that digital work is poorly regulated in Kenya, resulting in poor work conditions. 

"The platforms are taking advantage of the fact that the government is not enforcing anything regarding people working on digital platforms. Out of the 12 platforms we rated in 2023, none reached the threshold of paying their workers what we call the minimum wage in Kenya, let alone a livable wage."

But the rising cost of living is affecting passengers too. Mercy Mueni, a frequent cab user who recently fell victim to the illegal fees, says that while drivers are rightfully agitated, they ought to seek proper resolution channels. "We all understand that the cost of living is high, but the drivers need to know that the client is not the enemy; the enemy is the app."

Margaret Kinyua, a digital cab driver, acknowledges this. "Whenever it's raining, we have something they call surge. The prices may go up two times, three times, and the customers still pay. So what does that tell you? The problem is not the customer; the problem is the app. Whatever is shown on the app, the customer is ready to pay."

Uber, in a statement, has responded to the developments, saying, "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."

Bolt responded to Citizen TV, saying that it is working to find a solution but continues to "discourage drivers from increasing fares off the app until this industry matter is resolved."

Harrison Munala expressed his frustration: "What's the point of having a car that goes into parking where the neighbor smells onions and meat, but your place can't smell meat? It does not make sense, it does not make sense."

Margaret Kinyua added, "Whenever you pick your phone to request that cab and you see 70 shillings, 100 shillings, please sit down to reconsider and ask yourself, if I give this driver 70 shillings, is he going to be able to cater for the fuel, wear and tear, and his upkeep?"

Digital taxi drivers are telling Kenyans that they will either pay up or stick to the use of matatus. They say the cost of living has gone up, not just for passengers but also for drivers.