The Nigerian Union of Private Cab Operators (NUPCO) has accused the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) of implementing policies that could threaten the livelihoods of indigenous airport taxi operators, calling on the Federal Government to urgently intervene.
Speaking on Trade FM’s Breakfast Business Briefing, the union’s Southwest National Vice President, Chief Comrade Alison Babatunde Obasanjo, and Lagos DTZ Branch Chairman, Comrade Abdulrazak Yinusa, alleged that FAAN introduced the measures without adequate consultation with their union.
The operators opposed FAAN’s reported plan to allow ride-hailing platforms such as Uber, LagRide and other app-based transport services to operate within airport premises, arguing that designated airport cab operators have served the nation’s airports for nearly five decades and should not be displaced.
According to the union, FAAN has also increased operational charges, including access sticker fees, inspection fees and passenger pickup charges, at a time when operators are grappling with rising costs and declining patronage.
The union further criticised the directive restricting vehicles below the 2012 model from operating at the airport, describing it as unrealistic given the country’s economic situation. The operators argued that vehicle roadworthiness, rather than model year, should determine eligibility to operate.
They also accused FAAN of refusing to recognise their union for negotiations, alleging that management preferred engaging individual companies instead of the union’s leadership. The officials claimed some FAAN personnel threatened to remove operators from the airport if they resisted the new policies.
The union appealed to President Bola Tinubu and other relevant authorities to intervene by facilitating dialogue and providing financing support that would enable operators to upgrade their vehicles without losing their businesses.
They maintained that airport taxi operators support modernization but insisted that reforms should be implemented through consultation and should not undermine the livelihoods of long-standing operators.
The union also alleged that, while the interview was in progress, it received information, accompanied by video evidence, claiming that FAAN had introduced electric vehicles into the airport to take over jobs currently performed by indigenous airport cab operators.
As of the time of filing this report, FAAN had not responded to the allegations.
