By Samson Echenim
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says it did not ban Uber, Taxify and other such transport service providers from the Lagos airport, including those on motorcycles legally allowed to operate in the city.
The airport authority was reacting to a report on some online media that it has placed a sign post banning the said vehicles and motorcycles from the airport.
The report said FAAN has issued a directive via the billboard to state that Uber, Taxify and other ride-sharing companies are not allowed to pick up passengers from the airport.
Nigerians condemned the alleged directive, saying FAAN is using it to protect the local taxi jobs and drivers who are suffering from low patronage since the arrival of Uber and Taxify on the scene.
The sign post leaves a fine N10,000 for defaulters of the directive.
Nigerians feared that with the ban, the local taxis are back to milking passengers dry with their outrageous charges especially when they see that the traveller is new in the country.
However, FAAN in a statement, said it did not place such sign post.
"The attention of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has been drawn to an online report making the rounds that the Authority has placed a ban on the usage of Uber, Bolt and others at the Lagos airport. We will like to state with all emphasis that passengers and the general public are free to use whatever means or mode convenient to transport themselves to the Lagos and other airports in Nigeria.
"We will therefore like to use this medium to inform the general public that the said sign post did not emanate from FAAN and our security personnel have been instructed to remove the sign post and investigate the issue," the authority said.