e-hailing drivers in Lagos- operating under the auspices of the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON)- have threatened to shut down the Bolt app over a 50 per cent reduction of fares.
In a statement seen by Technext, Public Relations Officer, Comrade Steven Iwindoye condemned the slash in strong terms, noting that it has led to a drastic reduction in earnings for drivers already struggling to make ends meet.
“The Auaton Lagos State Chapter strongly condemns the recent 50% price slash imposed by Bolt, a ride-hailing company, on its drivers. This drastic reduction in earnings severely impacts all Auaton members, who are already struggling to make ends meet. The constant price slashes and unfair treatment of drivers by ride-hailing companies like Bolt, Uber, Indrive, and Rida have led to a breaking point. The only solution is for drivers to come together and take a stand,” the statement reads.
According to drivers who spoke to Technext, they noticed while working last Friday that the fares charged by Bolt had significantly reduced. One driver who uses a CNG car described the fares as “ridiculous”, even for a CNG-powered operation.
Consequently, they reached out to the company to understand the cause of the new low fares. In response, the company informed them that a group of drivers came to their office demanding a reduction in fares. The company said it was only succumbing to the wishes of those set of drivers.

However, this did not go down well with the drivers who voiced out their frustrations. Chairman of the Lagos state chapter of the union, Jaiyesimi Azeez said there is no way any driver would demand a fare slash.
He described Bolt’s position as one of their ploys to control drivers.
“Information reaching us that some set of drivers went to their (Bolt) office. No set of drivers went to their office. That is what Bolt normally does; they create a group to control some set of drivers. They will give some drivers money and bring them together and in the end claim it is the drivers’ decision,” he said.
Another driver, John echoed the same sentiments, noting that drivers are no longer novices to Bolt’s divisive kind of operations.
“For Bolt to allege that there is a small group of drivers who came to their office that led to the reduction of fares, that is a false allegation. If Bolt claims that a small group of people came to their office, let them publish their names. If they cannot do that and reveal these people to us, we won’t believe them,” he said.
Another driver, Kanmi, described it as ridiculous, noting that no driver in their right mind would do such a “stupid” thing.
“It is ridiculous. No driver will do such a stupid thing, going to Uber and Bolt’s office and protesting that they should reduce fares. For what?“
Bolt’s price slash portrays sad reality across e-hailing
Interestingly, Bolt isn’t the only app company accused of slashing prices. Drivers admit that Uber and inDrive have also reduced their prices. However, they have been systematic in their reductions, choosing to effect them in bits.
Bolt has effected a huge slash in one fell swoop.
These reductions underscore a worrying trend in e-hailing as drivers have continued to lament the lack of requests on the e-hailing apps. According to analysts, this stems from a general decline in the purchasing power of Nigerians occasioned by a continuously rising inflation rate, eroding value of the local currency and a general decline in the Nigerian economy.
These realities have left app companies scrambling for solutions. One solution is to reduce prices so fares are more affordable, leading to more demand. Indeed, the General Manager of Bolt Nigeria, Osi Oguah, admitted this in his response to a Technext query.
While admitting the slash, the General Manager insisted it was not a 50% reduction. He simply described it as a “fare adjustment”. He also added that the adjustment will increase demand on the platform, improve driver satisfaction and reduce downtime.
“We understand the drivers’ concerns. However, Bolt did not do a 50% price slash, what we did was fare adjustments in Lagos which are designed to optimize driver earnings in the long run,” the General Manager said.
Bolt’s reduction in fares can only be interpreted by drivers as a massive drop in their earnings. This is compounded by the fact that the reduction was effected without warning.


One driver, Kola said: “Where in the world will you just arbitrarily crash prices on Friday morning when most drivers are already out for the day’s business? No email, no official notice or correspondence to that effect. Are we toddlers? How can a company change pricing without consulting with other stakeholders?“
Another driver, Faith, called on Bolt to also reduce their high commission instead of reducing prices alone.
“Bolt is just after their riders and their high commission. They are not after us drivers at all. If they feel reducing the fare will keep their riders then let them as well reduce their high commission,” he said.
To this end, the drivers are calling for a total shutdown of the app to drive home their frustrations and anger.
“The only solution to this whole situation is to down tools whether you belong to the union or not. We don’t want to see any driver on the road taking ridiculous fares from Bolt, Uber, inDrive and Rida. This time we shall use force for all drivers to comply,” Dan said.
“What many of us haven’t realized is this; they are telling drivers on their platform they don’t care about them not realizing that we can do without them and their business will collapse within hours,” Blessing said.


The e-hailing drivers’ union concurred with drivers and called on others, regardless of union affiliation, to participate in the upcoming protest.
“We cannot afford to have drivers undermining the effort by continuing to work and accept the unfair conditions. The protest’s success relies on the unity and solidarity of all drivers. Some drivers have been hesitant to take a stand or have actively worked against the interests of their fellow drivers. This protest is an opportunity for drivers to put aside their differences and work towards a common goal,” the union said.
It also encouraged drivers to express their dissatisfaction with the decision by writing Bolt and registering their displeasure with the 50 per cent price slash. The union said this is a crucial step towards demonstrating their collective dissatisfaction and preparing the ground for the upcoming protest.
“When the protest date is announced, we must stand together and use our collective power to bring about change. This may require drivers to take bold action and assert their rights. By doing so, we can create a better future for ourselves and the entire ride-hailing industry,” the union concluded.