Bolt says Economy category only deactivated for drivers guilty of offline trips in Rivers

Leading ride-hailing company in Nigeria, Bolt, has debunked reports that it is removing its Economy Ride category for users in Rivers State, noting that the category was only deactivated for drivers guilty of multiple misconduct in the state. The company disclosed this in a chat with Technext on the matter.

Recall that the Rivers State chairman of the Nigerian e-hailing union (AUATON), Comrade Omoruyi Amos, in a statement released to Technext, said the company has made silent updates to its app. These updates include a purported removal of the Economy Class ride from the app and a new display format showing drivers’ net income after commission deductions instead of the full fare, as used to be the case.

Responding to a Technext query on whether the company is scrapping the Economy category in Rivers, seeing as both drivers and riders are noticing its removal on their apps, or whether it was just a glitch, a company spokesperson said this was far from the case.

“No, we are not doing away with the economy ride option at all. The Economy category remains active and is, in fact, the most in-demand ride option in Port Harcourt. What has changed is how we manage it to ensure quality of service and ensure we adequately monitor driver conduct more effectively, especially if there are repeated reports of misconduct or platform misuse. Our aim is to maintain a high standard of service and give all drivers a fair and equal opportunity to participate in our most active category,” the spokesperson told Technext.

Bolt is battling offline trips with economy class removal

Offline rides have become rampant in Port Harcourt and other southern states. According to some riders who spoke with Technext, the drivers also seem to have permission to negotiate their own fares, usually double what was quoted on the app. 

“One of the Bolt drivers told me, bro, na there you go sleep o. I booked four different rides and they were all the same things. I saw 3,000 naira on the app, the guy told me he would collect 6,000 naira last, at the end of the day I had to beg him to collect 5,500 naira and still he did not put on the AC. He said if I wanted the AC so much I would have to pay another extra for it,” a rider said.

Apparently, incidents of offline trips are more prevalent on Economy Category rides, which offer cheaper fares. Addressing the prevailing trend of offline trips in Rivers state, Bolt said it has created a driver monitoring conduct intervention aimed at addressing the challenge.

“We are aware of the challenges related to offline trips, and we take this issue seriously. Our recent driver monitoring conduct intervention is designed to address this while giving drivers the opportunity to correct behaviour before stricter action is taken,” the company said.

For the sake of transparency, the company says it operates a graduated system in Port Harcourt, which warns drivers guilty of going offline. Drivers flagged for the first and second time are given warnings via direct communication. Drivers flagged for the third time will be subjected to a 24-hour temporary block from the category.

Drivers flagged for the fourth time will suffer a three-day deactivation from the service, while drivers flagged for the fifth time will have to endure a seven-day deactivation.

Finally, if a driver is flagged for the sixth time, Bolt will have no choice but to remove the Economy Category option for the driver.

As Bolt straightens out the matter surrounding its Economy Class, the chairman of the e-hailing drivers’ union in Rivers, Comrade Omoruyi Amos, insists the Economy Category is still characterised by ridiculous fares that force drivers to operate at a loss.

“For years, drivers across Nigeria have raised valid concerns about the inhumane pricing structure associated with the Economy Class. It offered fares so low that drivers were forced to operate at a loss, undermining both their dignity and daily survival,” he said.