Bolt begins operations in Port-Harcourt, Nigeria

Bolt, formerly known as Taxify, commences operations in its 8th city in Nigeria, Port-harcourt. Previous cities include Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Owerri, Benin City, Calabar and Uyo.

According to Uche Okafor, Bolt’s regional manager for West Africa; “After successful launches in seven Nigerian cities, expanding to the cosmopolitan city of Port Harcourt is a natural next step for Bolt as it further reinforces our vision to make urban travel easier, quicker and more reliable. We are also looking forward to introducing flexible employment opportunities to thousands of drivers and vehicle owners in the city.”

“Bolt places a high priority on safety, both for the drivers that use the platform to connect with customers, and for the customers that use the platform to hail rides. In keeping with this, we have ensured that our drivers undergo background checks by the State Intelligence Bureau arm of the Nigerian Police. We have also integrated an SOS button into our drivers app that automatically notifies the Police Control Room of the Rivers State Police Command whenever it is activated,” Okafor said.

“To celebrate Bolt’s launch in Port Harcourt, Bolt will be offering a 20 percent discount on all fares for the launch period and passengers can enjoy a free first ride up to N2000 with the promo code BOLTPH when they apply the promo code. Popular trips in and around Port Harcourt such as Pleasure Park to the Mall will cost between NGN1,000 – NGN1150 while Peter Odili road, Transamadi to New GRA will cost between NGN1,200 – NGN1,300,” the company revealed in a statement.

Bolt says it has already signed drivers up to the platform in Port Harcourt, who all receive 85 percent of all fares paid by passengers. Also, drivers using the platform are their own boss, as they can choose how many hours they drive, there are no monthly dues, and they can work in whichever areas they want to.

Recently Bolt raised an undisclosed amount of funds to bump up its valuation to over $1 billion.