Professional E-hailing Drivers and Private Owners Association of Nigeria, (PEDPAN), has organised a meeting to link professional E-hailing drivers to Lagos Ride Lease Partners on favourable terms to both parties.
The drivers who are expected to undergo a medical checkup to ascertain their fitness are duly registered members of the association with their details fully captured for tracking and follow up when the need arises.
You will recall the Lagos State Government in March this year launched LagosRide, a ride-hailing service which the government said will allow operators to become owners of brand new vehicles acquired for the service within four years.
Sanwo-Olu during the launch said the state did not intend to run existing hailing ride operators out of the business but to offer safer alternatives and clear the roads of rickety cars being used for taxi business.
In his speech to the lease partners, Comrade Idris Oluwasheun, National Coordinator, said, "As an association, we were involved with the Lagos Ride conversation right from the beginning and made valuable inputs that stand to benefit all the parties concerned, including all the features found in the vehicles. We could do this effectively due to our long standing experience in driver-owner relationships. As a lease partner you have nothing to fear because everybody's interest is well protected."
Comrade Oluwasheun assured both parties of the infallibility of the arrangements for both the lessee and the drivers, asking the leases to pay for the verification exercise for their drivers whose details have been captured, with their guarantors and places of residence.
He revealed that the drivers as association members, are regularly engaged through regular meetings, and training programmes facilitated by State government transport agencies, including; LASTMA, VIS, LASDRI and others to keep them abreast of traffic regulations at all times, how to be professional behind wheel and in all fairness the drivers are highly responsible set of people
Comrade Oluwasheun explained that charges to passengers is N27 per minute and would not expect drivers to be over-speed in traffic, thereby putting the lives of passengers at risk or contravening traffic rules.
He explained that rather than trying in haste to circumvent traffic bottlenecks, drivers should go at the pace of the traffic which would eventually pay off from the cost of ride which is rising as the time ticks by. The lag-ride is a transport business that understands our terrain and factors in the inconvenience to make it up for the operators unlike other applications imported from other climes that determines the transport in Lagos.
Oluwasheun said, when the features of the vehicles are fully in place, it could give the lease partners an average of N40,000 – N50,000 profit per week, emphasizing that by the time when the ride sharing classification is fully operational, two – four people going in the same direction can board the Lag-ride at the same time, resulting in lower fares while enjoying the same service delivery.
This classification option will make many want to leave their vehicles at home to want to board the Lag-ride which is set to reduce the perennial traffic gridlocks on Lagos roads, Comrade Oluwasheun opines.
He also advised the drivers to desist from driving without connecting to the online monitoring system, because there is no way they get away with any trip taken offline, if the lease partner complains at any time, it can be verified going back to the records provided by the cameras operating both within and outside the vehicle, which would give details of the number of passengers on the trip that was not captured online.
Tumi Adeyemi, CEO/Founder of Zeno Link Technology Limited, a technology service provider for the Lagos-ride scheme, said the purpose of the meeting is to basically share with intending partners, people who would like to invest money in acquiring Lagos Ride cars, but may not be available to drive themselves.
“The meeting was designed so that people who don't have the money to take on the cars can benefit from that investment. It presents them with an opportunity to earn passive income, the partners can be able to earn money and the drivers too will be able to earn money. So the idea is to spread the opportunity for people to get out of poverty and ensure that people can become self-sustainable.
Speaking about the experience of the scheme since it was launched some months earlier, Adeyemi explained, “It's quite an interesting experience. First, we started from a place where people didn't believe what we were trying to do, a lot of people were speaking against us. And then it's went into a place where people started giving us commendations for their experience, people were glad that all the drivers were being polite. The cars are new the dashcam has been very helpful for us in resolving issues between drivers and riders and any other issue because it gives us full coverage as to what's happening in the cars and in its immediate environment.
Also, people feel more secure, they feel they can hold the business accountable and responsible because, the response they get at every point in time that they call on us when something is wrong, even with our drivers we constantly engage with them so that we can learn how best to do things. They are the ones on the road. They are the ones that interact with the users. They are the ones that see how people are using the solution.”
The payment system according to is through the wallet system, stating that, even when you bring cash, It still goes through their wallet system. The driver will take that value from the drivers’ wallet with us, so both the driver and the rider both have wallets so you can fund your wallet to pay for your trips.
Comrade Olusegun Balogun, Chairman, Lagos State Public Service Joint Negotiating Council, Trade Union Chapter, expressed his councils’ involvement in the scheme, by stating, “We are implementers of state government policies and programmes and this arrangement is part of the programmes that the government instituted to be more or less like an empowerment programme, to create jobs for the populace and residents of Lagos State.
“Apart from improving the transportation system of the state government, it is more like having two or three things put together. And that is why we as public servants in Lagos State are part of the arrangement. The program is actually taking off so that it will replace the normal conventional taxi drivers, you will have a kind of transportation system that is safe for residents.” He added.
Lagos Ride is an e-hailing Taxi Scheme that promotes ride sharing as an objective to reduce travel cost, travel time, road congestion, environmental pollution, while enhancing travel experience.
The cost of the car is N7.5million, payable over four years with interest @ 17.5%/pa. The cost is exclusive of Vehicle registration; Annual Comprehensive insurance; LASG E-Hailing Levy; Android devices loaded with the app to be given to each driver; Installed security gadgets and Statutory certification and soft/refresher training.
The vehicles, until full payment of the hire purchase costs, are owned by Ibile Holding Limited. Ownership of the vehicle is transferred after payment and the hirer exercises his/her/its discretion to either remain on the Lagos Ride scheme or withdraw. However, upon withdrawal, all the assemblages and paraphernalia of Lagos Ride on the vehicle and with the hirer, will be removed/ retrieved.
The branding (colour, logo, and other Lagos Ride insignia/paraphernalia) cannot be changed during the period of the hire purchase.
Lagos Ride, through its rideshare objectives, is a solution to road decongestion by providing the opportunity for shared, affordable, comfortable, safe, and classy means of public transportation. It will, therefore, encourage many private car owners to adopt its use as their preferred travel mode. Lagos Ride is the catalyst for the regeneration/ renewal of the cars in use by the current taxi system, by providing brand new car alternatives and the prospect of ownership within four(4) years.
It is a state supported, self- sustaining, empowerment scheme, with low access deposit and interest rate, which guarantee ownership of the car after full payment of the hire purchase cost.
Each car is fitted with top grade security devices, panic buttons, for the protection of the drivers , riders, the public, ease of information dissemination, rescue, dispute resolution, as may be necessary.
Comprehensive insurance over the assets, drivers, riders, and the public.
Diligent background checks, uniform branding, standard operating process, and unique end-to-end data linkage.
Promotion of ride share (those who agree to share) to promote trip planning, reduce road congestion, travel costs, use of wallet payment systems to reduce cash handling and exposure of partners (drivers/riders) to risks.
The scheme operates new cars, dignifying to the partners (drivers/riders), with low emission rate, thereby reducing the impact of emission on the climate.
It gives equal opportunities to residents of Lagos state (Lagosians).
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