Workers Lament Over Daily Targets As Lagride Driver Slumps And Dies

Adebayo Padmore, a LagRide driver, has passed away.

He died on Jan. 8, while preparing to pick up passengers.

Saheed Ayeni, one of three drivers who took Padmore to Louis Med hospital in Lekki, from Oniru market where he collapsed, said: “He collapsed at 5 a.m. after checking the bonnet before resuming work, and we had to revive him with buckets of water. His last words while we rushed him here were, ‘Don’t let me die.’”

Padmore was pronounced dead minutes after being examined by a doctor.

Padmore was the National Deputy President of the Amalgamated Union of Nigerian App-Based Transporters until his death.

“We will conduct an autopsy to ascertain the cause of death,” said Tumi Adeyemi, the head of the solutions for LagRide.

Meanwhile, other drivers in Nigeria’s Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters have complained about the unpleasant working conditions of ride-hailing businesses.

Padmore had previously been treated for an unidentified ailment, according to Saheed Ayeni and one other driver. LagRide’s daily targets, they claim, put drivers like Padmore under strain.

Read Also: Lagos to jail Okada ban defaulters for three years

Ibrahim Ayoade, the general secretary of the App-Based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON), criticised LagRide’s finance approach in December 2023, stating it incentivized drivers to seek unsustainable returns. He claimed that the association had attempted to criticise this “killer model” but had been unsuccessful.

LagRide uses a lease-to-own concept that requires a down payment of ₦700,000 for brand-new GAC vehicles. The remaining payments were stretched out over four years by drivers making daily payments of ₦8900.

Padmore’s friends and coworkers have taken to Facebook to express their condolences.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli