A Lagos-based Bolt driver shared a troubling story: after picking up a passenger from a motor park, the rider’s intended host wasn’t available to pay the fare. The woman then offered to pay in kind by suggesting she could take the driver to a hotel. This kind of situation, he explained, happens often. However, as a rider myself, I’ve observed that passengers tend to experience more issues than drivers do.
A South African rider, Karabelo Lelosa, shared his unsettling experience in a conversation with Times Live. “Last year, my girlfriend used her account to book a Bolt ride for me. Upon entering the car, the driver told me he was expecting a woman for his own personal interests. I confronted him immediately,” Lelosa recalled. He later devised a system to track drivers’ vehicles, faces, and plates for safety purposes.
Many riders have shared their negative encounters online, with a steady stream of complaints across social media platforms.
Persistent Complaints
When you search for Bolt or Uber on social media, it’s not hard to find numerous complaints about their services. This issue isn’t new, especially when it comes to incidents involving ride-hailing services like Bolt and Uber.
A prominent issue emerged during the EndSARS protests when many riders reported that Bolt drivers were allegedly assisting the police in illegal detentions and extorting passengers. Bolt quickly issued a statement denying these claims, asserting that it does not collaborate with any organizations to harm, intimidate, or coerce individuals.
However, a Bolt driver who discussed the situation with me noted that some drivers are also security personnel using the platform as an extra source of income.
The company faced additional scrutiny when allegations surfaced on Twitter that Bolt was prioritizing influencer campaigns instead of addressing customer complaints.
Despite claims from Bolt regarding its use of influencers, a deeper concern remains: why are these complaints so frequent, particularly about Bolt’s service?
Background on Bolt’s Operations
Bolt, which entered Nigeria in 2016, is now a prominent competitor to Uber in the country’s largest commercial city, Lagos. The Estonian company’s strategy has involved expanding into smaller cities, surpassing Uber in its African footprint. However, service issues, particularly concerning safety, have raised concerns among passengers, especially women who feel vulnerable to harassment from some drivers.
Global data from Uber revealed that in the first half of 2019 alone, there were over 100 reports of rape and nearly 800 incidents of non-consensual touching.
Cross-Platform Drivers
Many drivers operate on both Uber and Bolt, moving between platforms depending on personal preference. This has led to the question of why the passenger experience varies so much if the same drivers are working across both services.
When Bolt first launched, its main selling point was that the onboarding process for drivers was more accessible than Uber’s. Gbenro Ogundipe, a long-time driver partner, explained that Bolt attracted drivers by easing entry requirements. While Uber used to conduct psychometric tests for drivers, Bolt allowed more lenient documentation checks. This lower barrier to entry may have led to some unsuitable drivers joining the platform.
Both Bolt and Uber do not share disciplinary records between them, which means that drivers removed from one platform can easily join another with a clean slate.
Bolt’s Response
In response to these persistent complaints, Bolt has announced a range of measures to improve its service:
- Implementing real-time biometric verification for drivers.
- Enhancing its support systems and increasing the number of service agents to address concerns more swiftly.
- Introducing a statewide driver retraining program.
- Raising the minimum quality standards for drivers.
Can This Issue Be Resolved?
Ultimately, ride-hailing services are facing a human problem. Clashes between drivers and riders are inevitable, but by improving screening processes and better incentivizing desired behaviors, Bolt could reduce negative experiences. However, the recurrence of these complaints suggests that the approach that got the company to this point may not be enough to sustain it in the future.
