The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has defended its decision to increase operational charges for airport taxi operators and maintain its vehicle upgrade policy, following protests by some cab drivers over the directive.
The authority, in a statement on Friday, said the measures were introduced to improve passenger safety, service quality and the overall standard of airport transport services, rather than punish operators.
The clarification comes after some airport cab drivers appealed to the Federal Government to suspend FAAN’s requirement that airport taxis should be 2020 model vehicles or newer.
In a video circulated on social media earlier, one of the drivers, speaking in Yoruba, urged President Bola Tinubu and Nigerians to intervene, arguing that many operators could not afford newer vehicles in the current economic climate.
“This is what we are facing. Nigerians should help us intervene. They said we should go and buy a vehicle from 2020 onwards. Vehicles that cost N18 million and above, with the way Nigeria is now,” the driver said.
