Festive rush spikes Lagos ride-hailing fares

Ride-hailing prices in Lagos have surged as the city’s Detty December celebrations draw crowds to concerts, beach parties, shopping centres, and nightlife venues. The influx of residents, returnees, and tourists has pushed up demand for services on platforms such as Uber, Bolt, and inDrive, particularly during peak hours, drivers said on Monday.

The Public Relations Officer of the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria, Lagos State chapter, Steven Iwindoye, explained to The PUNCH that the December rush typically results in drivers handling consecutive trips. He added that fares often double during this period, as passengers prioritise speed and convenience over cost.

This PUNCH observed that the surge in demand has been worsened by heavy traffic across major routes, including the Third Mainland Bridge, Ikorodu Road, Lekki-Epe Expressway, and Ikeja corridors. Gridlock has turned short trips into hours-long journeys, activating surge pricing on ride-hailing apps and pushing fares significantly higher as commuters compete for available drivers.

Iwindoye attributed much of the price increase to traffic congestion, saying trips that should take about 40 minutes can stretch to as long as three hours during the festive season. “The surge is expected to continue through the holidays but should ease after the celebrations, with prices likely to drop by mid-January 2026,” he stated.

Beyond pricing, the festive rush has also increased the workload for drivers, who are spending longer hours on the road to meet demand. The pressure has made vehicle condition and endurance more important for those hoping to maximise earnings during the period.

One of the drivers, Abbas Alhassan, said the “season has been demanding but rewarding for drivers with well-maintained vehicles.” While acknowledging that the long hours can be tiring due to the volume of activities across the city, he said the high demand presents an opportunity to earn more, although he prefers not to work at night.

Passengers, however, have raised concerns about fare volatility during trips. Some commuters say prices sometimes rise before a journey ends, adding to the frustration of navigating Lagos traffic during the festive period.

Sharing her experience, Atinuke Adedeji said she has observed multiple instances where fares increased significantly mid-trip. She cited examples of journeys within Lagos where the cost rose by several thousand naira before completion, describing the repeated occurrences as shocking.

“It’s crazy how prices of trips now go up before they end. A trip starts with N5,000, for example, and before it finishes, you could be seeing N6,500,” she told The PUNCH.

”The other day, I went to pick up a half-bag of rice from Victoria Island to Surulere. I was charged N14,500 at the start, and before the end, it rose to N18,900. It was really shocking. This is not once or twice,” Adedeji added, highlighting how high demand directly affects commuters.

Data from Bolt’s Rewind 2024 report highlights how demand for ride-hailing services has been building even before the festive rush. According to the report, Friday remained the most popular day of the week for Bolt riders globally and in Nigeria, reflecting heavy end-of-week movement.

Across the country, frequent pick-up points included airports and restaurants, underlining the platform’s role in facilitating travel and leisure activities.

The report also revealed growing usage intensity on the platform, with a record rider completing 1,719 trips in 2024, up from 1,336 trips in 2023. Bolt said its top driver completed 7,287 trips during the year.

It also stated that the longest single trip recorded in Nigeria covered 21,094.461 kilometres, pointing to sustained and rising demand for ride-hailing services nationwide. Globally, Bolt noted strong business usage in cities such as Bangkok, Johannesburg, and Asunción.