Airport Cab Fares Surge 50% As FAAN Bans Uber, Bolt, Others

Air passengers at major Nigerian airports are facing sharp increases in transportation costs, vehicle scarcity, and prolonged delays following the suspension of e-hailing platforms, including Uber and Bolt, from operating on airport premises.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has enforced the suspension alongside stricter vehicle age requirements and mandatory registration of airport cab operators through a FAAN-managed digital application.

The development has significantly disrupted passenger movement at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, with passengers reporting fare increases of more than 50 per cent since the restriction took effect.

The situation has also prompted complaints from e-hailing drivers and passengers, who say the limited number of authorised airport cabs has created an environment in which fares are largely determined by scarcity and convenience.

According to an internal directive dated July 30, titled “Suspension of Bolt and Uber Operators at All FAAN-Managed Airports,” the aviation authority directed the immediate suspension of commercial operations by the two platforms pending the finalisation and execution of licence agreements.

The directive, signed by U.R. Liman, General Manager, Commercial Services, stated that Bolt and Uber operators were to cease operations at all FAAN-managed airports until their respective licence agreements were concluded.

The directive stated in part that, pending the finalisation of the licence agreements with the two platforms, FAAN had directed that their commercial operations at all FAAN-managed airports be suspended.

The authority has also introduced stricter compliance requirements for airport car-hire operators, including minimum vehicle model years of 2012 or 2015, depending on the terminal.

Operators are further required to register and onboard their databases onto FAAN’s designated digital booking application.

The enforcement has involved task force deployments, vehicle impoundments, and fines, significantly restricting e-hailing drivers’ activities while leaving passengers with fewer transportation options.

At the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1 (MM1), a Lagos-based cab operator, Akintoye Wasiu, said the new requirements had created major operational challenges for drivers.

“FAAN said they don’t want cab operators that have not upgraded to 2015 models at MM1 to stay,” Akintoye said.

He added that FAAN was also insisting that cab operators register through its application, while Bolt had not agreed to the arrangement, leading to the exclusion of Bolt drivers from the terminal.

The situation is similarly tense at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, where enforcement officials have reportedly intensified efforts to prevent e-hailing drivers from picking up passengers on the airport premises.

A Bolt driver, Azeez Jeleel, said drivers received notice on July 27 that Bolt had been suspended from operating at the airport.

According to him, FAAN introduced a new application and requested that Bolt provide its database for integration into the system.

Azeez said the enforcement became more intense from August 1, when more than 50 task force personnel were deployed at the airport.

“The new requirement has forced Bolt and Uber drivers out completely because if you are caught trying to pick up a rider, it’s a N40,000 fine,” he said.

He explained that the penalty had made it economically unviable for drivers to make airport trips, particularly when the average fare was between N18,000 and N20,000.

“When you factor in fuel costs, it is deeply frustrating,” he said, noting that filling a vehicle’s tank could cost about N80,000, while weekly vehicle rental remittances could average N40,000.

Azeez said conventional airport car-hire operators were charging considerably more than e-hailing platforms following the suspension.

“When they started the ban, their lowest ride was N35,000,” he said.

He also raised concerns about passenger safety, noting that e-hailing platforms provide features that allow passengers to share driver details, vehicle registration numbers and trip information with family and friends.

Passengers have equally complained about the impact of the restriction, particularly the increase in fares and the difficulty of accessing affordable transportation after landing.

A frequent traveller between Lagos and Abuja, Francis Tochukwu, said he experienced the impact of the restrictions at both airports.

Upon arriving at Abuja airport, Tochukwu said he opted for an airport cab because he was in a hurry and noticed electric vehicles operating there.

He later learnt that the airport had introduced an application for booking the vehicles.

According to him, airport-operated services to the city could cost N30,000 or more, compared with approximately N20,000 that passengers previously paid for comparable e-hailing trips.

He said the restrictions became even more noticeable when he returned to Lagos.

“I booked a Bolt ride from MMA2 to Festac, and the fare displayed on the app was approximately N13,000,” Tochukwu said.

However, after contacting the driver, he was asked to meet at a designated parking area outside the terminal.

“Once in the car, he explained that the actual fare would be N25,000 because of the risks and costs involved,” he said.

According to Tochukwu, the driver cited the risk of vehicle impoundment, parking charges and security-related costs as reasons for demanding a higher fare.

He said airport-operated services to Festac could cost between N35,000 and N40,000, while trips to destinations such as Ajah and Lekki could rise to N50,000 or more.

The development has effectively created a two-tier transportation system at the airports, with passengers either paying premium rates for authorised airport cabs or arranging to meet e-hailing drivers outside designated airport areas.

A source within FAAN, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the new system was designed to address security concerns, improve passenger identification and ensure better revenue collection.

The source said the authority needed to know who was entering airport premises and to ensure that commercial operators using airport facilities contributed appropriately to airport revenue.

“Items frequently go missing at the airport because we don’t know who is entering the premises. We have made registration via the app compulsory so we can track who enters the airport and capture the appropriate revenue,” the source said.

The source added that operators could not continue using airport facilities to pick up passengers without contributing to airport revenue.

“We want to fully digitize the process to ensure proper revenue capture,” the source said.

However, with negotiations between FAAN and the major e-hailing platforms yet to conclude, passengers continue to bear the immediate cost of the policy through higher fares, fewer transport options, and longer journeys to designated pick-up points.

For travellers arriving at Nigeria’s busiest airports, the suspension of Uber and Bolt has sharply increased the cost of airport transportation, with passengers and operators calling for a resolution that balances airport security, revenue collection, fair competition, and affordable mobility.