Bolt cracks down on fake ride requests in Nigeria, South Africa

• Published On: 22 August 2024 at 18:35

Ride-hailing app Bolt has blocked numerous accounts linked to a growing trend of fake ride requests, in which users request rides only to cancel them after the driver accepts. This disruptive practice has been most prevalent in Nigeria and South Africa.

To address the issue, Bolt has placed restrictions on intercountry ride requests between the two countries where the trend has been most prevalent.

The situation became public after several users on the social media platform X shared screenshots of the trend. In these cases, Bolt users in Nigeria or South Africa would request a ride in one country and then cancel it shortly after the driver accepted, resulting in wasted time and resources.

The motivations for the trend are unclear, but it appears to be a form of internet trolling.

"We understand how this situation has affected our driver-partners in Nigeria and South Africa. "We are committed to providing a safe, dependable, and secure experience for all members of our community," stated Yahaya Mohammed, Bolt's Nigeria Country Manager.

One driver in Cape Town expressed his dissatisfaction with TechCabal: "I drove from Cape Town to Stellenbosch to pick up a customer, only to find out it was a fake request. That's nearly 50 kilometres of fuel wasted due to internet jokes."

Because Bolt does not reimburse drivers for fuel spent on cancelled rides, many drivers have begun declining long-distance requests until Bolt addresses the issue.

The company has promised to continue monitoring the situation and, if necessary, take additional action to protect its driver partners and ensure the service's reliability.