InDrive drivers in Port Harcourt are watching closely – and hopefully – as their counterparts in Abuja enjoy a major financial break. The ride-hailing company recently slashed commissions to just 0.1% during peak hours in the capital, and now drivers here are asking: “What about us?”
The Abuja deal, which kicked in recently, lets drivers keep nearly every naira they earn during rush hours – a game-changer in a city where living costs keep climbing. Oladimeji Timothy, InDrive’s Nigeria boss, says the super-low rate applies to key weekday commute times (7-8 AM and 4-5 PM) plus extra evening slots on weekends. It’s part of the company’s “fair deal” approach that already gives drivers more say in pricing than most apps.
But in Port Harcourt, where drivers face the same brutal mix of fuel price swings, car maintenance bills, and daily expenses, the Abuja news stings. “We’re struggling just as hard,” says one driver waiting outside the University of Port Harcourt. “That kind of break would mean real food on the table, not just survival.”
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Local drivers are now comparing notes on how to get InDrive’s attention. They argue that peak-hour demand here, when the city’s notorious traffic jams send ride requests soaring, makes Port Harcourt just as worthy of relief. While there’s no word yet on expanding the program, the chatter in driver WhatsApp groups suggests this fight’s just getting started.
For now, it’s a waiting game. But with fuel prices unlikely to drop and budgets stretched thinner each month, Port Harcourt’s InDrive crews are making their message clear: What’s good for Abuja drivers should work in the Delta too.
