AUATON demands that Bolt reinstates driver suspended for assaulting passenger in PH

The Rivers State Chairman of the Amalgamated Union of the App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON) has demanded that Bolt immediately reinstate a driver, Wugah Kue Prince, who was accused of assaulting a passenger, Miss Kosisochukwu Okoye, during a Bolt trip in Port Harcourt.

According to reports, the incident, which happened on Sunday, June 1, saw the driver demanding a fare of N4,500 naira which was way above the N3,100 stipulated on the app. When the passenger refused to pay, a scuffle ensued, which led to injuries as the driver rode off while the passenger was trying to exit the car to safety.

The incident reportedly left her bruised and bloodied.

In a separate statement to Technext, Bolt Nigeria General Manager, Osi Oguah, had confirmed the suspension of the driver from its platform, stating that the company is aware of the incident and has since taken disciplinary measures.

“We are aware of the recent incident involving a Bolt driver who allegedly assaulted a rider after demanding payment outside the app. This behaviour is completely unacceptable and violates our community guidelines. The driver has been suspended from the platform, and our team has reached out to the rider to offer support,” the General Manager said.

However, in his statement to Technext on the matter, the Rivers State Chairman of the union, Comrade Omoruyi Amos, while expressing his sympathies and apologies to the passenger as no passenger deserves to feel endangered while using a ride-hailing service, he stated that the driver, who has been a loyal driver on Bolt for more than a year, was only pushed to such extents by Bolt’s unwilligness to adjust ernings to reflect harsh economic realities.

“We must also draw public and institutional attention to the root causes of this recurring friction between Bolt drivers and passengers; the unfair pricing model and lack of driver support by Bolt Nigeria,” he said.

He noted that the union has repeatedly made constructive appeals to Bolt management and its spokesperson, Mr. Femi Adeyemo, regarding issues affecting drivers, especially.

These include fuel prices currently ranging between ₦950–₦1,000 per litre, vehicle maintenance costs, app fares that no longer reflect the true economic realities or trip distances, and unilateral decisions to deactivate driver accounts without a fair hearing.

“In this particular case, we are not ignoring the emotional impact on the passenger, but we must highlight that expecting a driver to complete a multi-kilometre trip for ₦3,100 in today’s economy is unrealistic, exploitative, and unsustainable. Bolt’s failure to adjust its pricing model accordingly has created frustrated and financially strained drivers, leading to situations where drivers feel enslaved by the system. An enslaved driver is an angry man. We therefore demand the immediate reinstatement of Comrade Prince’s account, pending the conclusion of a fair and transparent investigation,” the union chairman said.

He further called on Bolt Nigeria to take urgent steps to restructure its pricing to ensure dignity, fairness, and sustainability for all drivers operating under its platform.

“Offline” is now common on Bolt trips in Port Harcourt

Bolt drivers in the Southern cities of Port Harcourt, Calabar and Uyo have made it a policy to put off their air-conditioning during trips. This was disclosed by several riders in those cities.

According to the passengers, the drivers also seem to have permission to negotiate their fares, usually double of what was quoted on the app.  One passenger, Ola Dami, narrated how he finally agreed to pay nearly double the fare of what was indicated in the app, only to be told the double fare does not include air conditioning.

“Do you know that if you book a ride in Calabar, they will not put on the AC for you even after negotiating the price offline? I have ordered twice in Calabar. When the driver comes, they will negotiate the price, and they will still not turn on the AC. I was shocked because in Lagos, drivers beg you to put off their AC, and if you refuse, they will leave it on,” Ola said.

Recall that in January, Technext reported that Bolt threatened to suspend the accounts of drivers who negotiate offline trips. This was even as the company introduced a new offline trip cancellation feature in its app.

With the new feature, riders can cancel a trip by selecting the option ‘the driver asked to pay off-the-app’ under specific circumstances.

Although the company claimed that the move would deter riders and drivers from negotiating trips offline, the practice seems to be gaining popularity across Nigerian cities 12 months later.