A viral protest by airport cab drivers has shifted attention from disputed vehicle requirements to deeper concerns over Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s digital taxi reform, exposing tensions between transport modernisation, stakeholder inclusion and operational realities, writes OLASUNKANMI AKINLOTAN

A viral video of distressed airport cab drivers appealing to President Bola Tinubu over what they believed was a directive requiring them to acquire 2020 model vehicles has sparked broader debate over FAAN’s latest push to modernise airport ground transportation.

While the appeal centred on the cost of acquiring newer vehicles in an economy weighed down by inflation and dwindling purchasing power, findings by The PUNCH showed that the controversy extends beyond vehicle specifications. At the heart of the disagreement is the implementation of the Airport Car Hire Rank Management System, a digital platform introduced by FAAN to regulate airport taxi operations, improve security and streamline passenger movement.

For FAAN, ACHRAMS represents a major step towards modernising airport ground transportation and closing longstanding security and operational gaps. For the drivers, however, the unanswered questions are less about digitisation and more about participation and practicality, among other concerns.

For many of the drivers, however, the issue is not resistance to technology but the feeling that they are being excluded from a reform that will directly affect their daily operations and livelihoods.

In the video, one of the drivers, speaking in Yoruba, appealed to Nigerians to intervene, saying, “This is what we are facing. Nigerians should help us intervene. They said we should go and buy a vehicle from 2020 above. Vehicles that cost between N18 and N30m, with the way Nigeria is now.

“There are no jobs in the country, with what we are going through. Please pity us Nigerians. Let this go viral. Nigerians pity us, help us intervene.”

The video gained traction on social media, drawing mixed reactions. While many Nigerians sympathised with the operators, arguing that surviving businesses should not be burdened with additional costs during economic hardship, others insisted that airport transport services should reflect the standards expected of international gateways.

Behind the public debate lies ACHRAMS, a technology-driven initiative FAAN says is designed to improve passenger safety, eliminate touting, regulate airport taxi services and ensure transparent fare administration.

The authority insists the initiative has been widely misunderstood.

Responding to the controversy, FAAN’s Director of Commercial and Business Development, Ms Adebola Agunbiade, dismissed claims that the protest was triggered by any directive compelling drivers to procure 2020 model vehicles.

She said, “Regarding the video circulating online, the claim that the main cause of the drivers’ actions is not accurate. The footage shows planned resistance by car hire operators who refused to register on the ACHRAMS. Those drivers were working to prevent the soft and pilot launches of the system at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. This incident is not related to any policy regarding vehicle model year.”

Agunbiade explained that the authority’s minimum vehicle requirement remains 2012 models and above, not 2020 as widely alleged.

She further said, “It is incorrect to say that FAAN asked drivers to change their vehicles to a minimum of the 2020 model because of the introduction of ACHRAMS. In fact, one of the conditions laid down by the Authority for registration on the app is that drivers must operate vehicles manufactured in 2012 or above.”

She also stated that the requirement was introduced as far back as 2024 and that FAAN had repeatedly extended compliance deadlines from January to June and now to 1 October 2026, to accommodate operators facing financial constraints.

The airport managers also rejected allegations that the new system was intended to reduce the number of airport cab operators.

Agunbiade stated, “It is important to note that FAAN is not planning to clear only 60 per cent of existing drivers to pave the way for ACHRAMS. The intention is to clear all drivers, provided they comply with the laid-down standards.”

She disclosed that nearly all existing airport taxi operators at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport had already been admitted into the pilot phase of the platform, except two companies whose union allegedly advised members against participating while pursuing separate digital solutions.

FAAN further revealed that discussions were ongoing with ride-hailing companies such as Bolt and Uber to integrate their operations into ACHRAMS, explaining that any temporary restriction on airport pickups was purely regulatory pending the conclusion of agreements.

FAAN says the application goes beyond regulating drivers, describing it as a platform that will reshape airport transport through digital tracking, stricter vehicle and driver screening, transparent fare systems, designated pick-up points and stronger passenger security.

The platform, which is being implemented under a ten-year concession managed by two companies, the agency said, will reduce congestion around airport terminals while introducing electronic booking and payment options for passengers.

FAAN maintains that consultations did not begin overnight, insisting stakeholder engagements commenced in 2024 before the project entered its pilot phase.

Despite those assurances, many airport cab operators maintain that the consultation process has not been as inclusive as it ought to have been.

The National President of the National Association of Airport Cab Drivers, Mr Adepegba Samuel, said the association’s demand is simple and not the suspension of the initiative, but genuine dialogue with them.

“You see, when you want to introduce something that you want people to align with, there should be serious briefing and enlightenment about the issue. The people introducing something are in the office, but we are the ones operating on the road. They should speak with us so that we can also tell them our views,” he said.

Samuel argued that airport drivers interact with passengers more than any other stakeholders after travellers leave the terminal buildings, making their practical experience invaluable in shaping the success of any operational reform.

He said, “We try to take the message to the public, but we need to sit together. We are the ones who will mostly speak to the public about this, but when we are not properly briefed or when you refuse to sit with us, how do we go forward from there?

“There are things they don’t know in the office that are happening, that we know because we deal with the public. We deal with the masses. We are at the finishing end of the job.

“They will bring the passenger from the plane down. We will take them to their respective areas. So we are dealing with them. If they want to ask questions about our operation, the public will not ask the government first; they will ask us. That is why we are saying let us have a round-table discussion.”

His concerns also extend to the practical application of the technology.

According to him, the operational realities of Nigeria’s airports require a more flexible system than what has currently been proposed.

He reasoned, “The app they are talking about varies. The one that we work with in MM1 will not work at the international terminal. This one cannot even work for the public. The app should be made for the airport alone and be generalised.

“That is why we are seeking an audience with them, and they have refused to grant it. We are not fighting them. They are our bosses and principals, but they should please listen to us too.”

Samuel illustrated his concerns with a personal example, explaining that many airport drivers have built trusted relationships with customers over decades.

He explained, “For instance, I have a customer, an old customer of more than 25 years. Some of them have children in Babcock and other boarding schools. They don’t even come to pick their children themselves because they have confidence in me. They trust me.

“Imagine they are trying to reach me through the app from the international terminal while I am at the local airport; that will not be possible.

“They are our principals, but what we are saying is that let us come to a round table and debate the issue. That is all we seek.”

Attempts to obtain FAAN’s response on why the authority had yet to meet with the union were unsuccessful, as calls and text messages sent to its spokesperson, Henry Agbebire, went unanswered as of the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, FAAN sources, who requested anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly, told our correspondent that the authority had no basis to meet directly with the drivers since it has no contractual relationship with them. They explained that FAAN had instead engaged with the concessionaires responsible for overseeing the airport cab operators. (The PUNCH)

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