Bolt penalizes drivers who encourage offline ride transactions

E-hailing company Bolt has introduced a new cancellation feature within its app to discourage users from making offline trips. Offline trips are trips taken without using the online features of the Bolt app, such as a driver negotiating a lower fare with a rider, which can potentially expose them to various risks.

The increase in offline e-hailing trips is often a result of drivers seeking additional income by persuading riders to cancel an ongoing trip and take an offline trip for a lower fare. Drivers benefit from this as they receive the full fare for the trip rather than a portion that is usually divided between Bolt and the vehicle owner.

With the new cancellation feature, riders can now cancel a trip if the driver asks for payment outside the app, requests a higher fare than agreed, or suggests canceling the trip to go offline. To cancel, riders can select the option ‘driver asked to pay off-the-app’ under specific conditions.

Once this feature is selected, riders can request another trip through the app.

We’re happy to introduce our latest cancellation option, designed to cut down on offline trips and address instances where drivers insist on charging rates exceeding those on the app.

At Bolt, we strongly discourage both drivers and riders from using the platform to exchange contact details or negotiate for offline trips. This behaviour goes against the safety and reliability we aim to uphold for our users. When drivers and riders go offline, essential safety features in the app, like GPS tracking and SOS coverage, become inactive, leaving users vulnerable and without access to critical in-app safety tools.

Sandra Suzanne Buyole, Public Relations Manager, Bolt Africa

The new cancellation feature is being implemented in several regions across Africa, including South Africa. According to Buyole, staying online when using Bolt is crucial for the effectiveness of safety and emergency features and for prioritizing user safety.

Bolt has also put into place measures to address drivers continually reported for soliciting offline trips. These measures include temporary account blockage and account suspension.

The company recently introduced two additional safety features: trip monitoring and driver alerts. The trip monitoring feature actively communicates with riders and drivers in-app when a vehicle stays stationary for an extended period. Meanwhile, the driver alerts feature equips drivers with pertinent information about future trips, especially in areas marked for safety concerns.

Bolt reports having over 150 million customers in over 45 countries and 500 cities across Europe and Africa. The platform has experienced substantial growth in South Africa since its local launch seven years ago, now boasting over 45,000 drivers on its platform.