Bolt to compensate drivers who agree to brand their Toyota Yaris in Benin

Ride-hailing company, Bolt, said it would compensate drivers who brand their Toyota Yaris vehicles in Edo state. This was disclosed by the company’s Head of Regulatory and Public Policy for Africa, Weyinmi Aghadiuno, in a chat with Technext. The initiative comes as part of efforts to comply with the Edo State commercial vehicles colour coding scheme.

The Edo State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Saturday Idehen, announced the colour coding scheme last year. According to him, commercial vehicles to be branded include tricycles (Keke NAPEP), motorcycles, Yaris taxis, minibuses, Vanettes, Mitsubishi buses, and “other commercial vehicles”.

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Notably, many Toyota Yaris vehicles operate on e-hailing platforms like Bolt. Indeed, some drivers argue that there are more Yaris vehicles on the Bolt platform than any other vehicle brand. This is because they have a low fuel consumption rate, making them the best for overall commercial use.

Moreover, the term “other commercial vehicles” threw many drivers off, wondering if that also included other cars used for e-hailing. With many, mostly Toyota Yaris, already impounded and many more operating with constant trepidation, the drivers decided to seek clarity from Bolt.

After engaging with the Commissioner of Transportation, it was clarified that vehicles operating on the Bolt platform are exempt from the requirement, except for Toyota Yaris vehicles. They would instead be required to be branded with the Bolt logo to distinguish them from other vehicles widely used for commercial transport in the state.

“The exemption of Yaris vehicles is conditional on branding them with the Bolt logo; otherwise, they will be required to adopt the state colour code. This is a requirement for effective enforcement and identification,” a Bolt update to drivers read.

The drivers of such branded vehicles are also required to possess a valid Edo State Signage and Advertising Agency (EDSAA) permit.

Despite the regulatory need for branding, the branded vehicles will nonetheless be moving advert boards for Bolt. Confronted with this reality and the need to compensate the owners of Bolt-branded Yaris vehicles, the company said it was willing to offer incentives for branded cars.

“Yes, it is free publicity for Bolt. However, the major question is whether drivers get any incentives for branding their cars. And the answer is yes. But that is not my turf. I can’t speak deeper about the branding and incentives around branding. But the simple answer is yes. A branded vehicle will get you access to incentives that get paid out on the Bolt platform,” the company said.

She also thanked the Edo State government for how they proactively managed the matters surrounding the colour coding and how it affected the Toyota Yaris vehicles used for e-hailing versus those widely used for public transport.

The Edo State colour coding scheme

On February 1, the government of Edo State began enforcement of commercial vehicles colour coding in the state. This was disclosed by the state Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Saturday Idehen. According to the commissioner, the purpose of the colour coding was to sanitise the transport sector, enhance security, and identify operators.

To this end, the colour coding exercise goes beyond painting as it also comes with profiling drivers and vehicle owners, as well as issuing unique serial identification codes.

The colour code is yellow and fire-red, a bright combination that ensures that commercial vehicles are easily recognised. Enforcement is already carried out by officials of the ministry in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force and the Edo State Traffic Management Agency (EDSTMA).

Mobile courts will also be established as part of the enforcement to promptly prosecute drivers found operating without the colour code. Commercial vehicles that fail to comply with the scheme will be impounded.