The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has denied claims that it played a role in Uber’s decision to discontinue its ride-hailing operations in Nigeria.
FAAN Managing Director, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, said the company’s decision to leave the Nigerian market was based on its own economic and regulatory considerations.
Speaking on Friday, Kuku said FAAN could not speak for Uber or determine the reasons behind its exit, stressing that the authority had no role in the decision.
“I can’t speak to Uber’s exit from Nigeria. I am sure they have their own economic and regulatory decisions as to why they chose to exit,” she said.
Kuku explained that FAAN’s primary responsibility was to ensure passenger safety and provide a seamless travel experience within Nigerian airports.
She, however, disclosed that the authority had received numerous complaints from passengers, particularly during the December holiday period, concerning some e-hailing and car-hire services operating at airports.
According to her, the complaints included allegations of intimidation, excessive charges and passengers being taken to destinations other than those they had requested.
She also revealed that FAAN had disagreements with some e-hailing companies over liability issues and the management of dedicated pickup zones at airports.
Kuku said while FAAN agreed to provide designated pickup areas for e-hailing services, it expected the companies to accept responsibility for the conduct of drivers operating through their platforms.
“One of the things we struggled with was liability. They wanted dedicated pickup zones, which we agreed to, but when it came to taking responsibility for drivers, they maintained that the drivers were independent contractors and not employees of Uber.
“That created a major concern for us because of the safety issues being reported by passengers,” she stated.
The FAAN chief also explained that the Airport Car Hire Rank Management System (ACHRAMS) was introduced to improve visibility, accountability and safety within airport transportation services.
She stressed that FAAN does not collect money on behalf of drivers or dictate whether passengers should use e-hailing services or airport car-hire operators.
“The choice remains with the passenger. Our responsibility is simply to ensure that those operating within the airport environment can be identified and monitored for safety purposes,” Kuku added.
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