As the nationwide strike by ride-hailing drivers lingers, Bolt has introduced new incentives to drivers operating on its app, but they aren’t impressed.
This week, ride-hailing drivers began a strike to ask for an increase in the base fares charged by Uber and Bolt in Nigeria. Bolt has now offered a bonus of N6,000 to the striking drivers. The bonus comes with conditions like completing between 9 to 11 trips, working at least 7 hours and accepting up to 90% of orders. The ride-hailing company also increased its surge pricing—a strategy used to motivate drivers to work during periods of high demand—–by 5%. Despite these new offers by Bolt, drivers who spoke to TechCabal say they’re unimpressed.
“Do the right thing”
For the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transport Workers of Nigeria (AUATWON), Bolt’s move still falls short. “The N6000 bonus is not bad in itself, it’s just an approach to justify their error,” Comrade Idris Shonuga, a national trustee of the union, told TechCabal. “The operating costs of drivers have increased. It’s a simple mathematics, you don’t need to dash anybody money. Do the right thing.”
Shonuga also pointed out that Bolt is yet to recognise the AUATWON as a representative of ride-hailing drivers in Nigeria. He believes Bolt should organise a dialogue with the ride-hailing union to address the price dispute. “Bolt is just a moderator, they can’t determine the price of the service without carrying the stakeholders along. The price being dished out by them in response to the fuel hike does not reflect on the profit of the drivers and partners (car rentals),” he said. “The position of the union is to have a round table discussion with all the stakeholders of ride hailing platforms.”
Celestine Finbar, a Bolt driver, told TechCabal that if Bolt truly wants to help drivers with incentives, they should eliminate the conditions. “Don’t give me conditions on what you claim to be a bonus,” he says. “Is the N6000 even free? You have to do a lot of trips to get that money, with what fuel? “
Finbar believes that Bolt could enhance their approach by reducing their commission. “Since they [Bolt] have N6000 to give, why don’t they reduce their commission? Everybody will be pumped to hit the road. The lower the commission, the more drivers will be willing to drive,” he said. Finbar has stopped working till Bolt reviews its prices.
Felix, another driver who asked to be identified by his first name, says the conditions to be met for the bonus are ridiculous. “All we are saying is that Bolt increase the base fare. Setting conditions for that small bonus is funny when you consider the fact that they will still collect their own commission after the many trips. So I don’t see the point,” he told TechCabal.
For Bolt, the incentives aren’t about the protests
Bolt claims the incentives were unconnected to the ride-hailing drivers’ strike. “Drivers are well within their human rights to engage in peaceful demonstrations, and Bolt respects this,” Yahaya Mohammed, Country Manager, told TechCabal in an email. “We offer recurring bonuses to our drivers, completely independent of the current circumstances. On the other hand, surge pricing is determined by market factors such as supply and demand.”
Bolt maintains its position of being wary of decreased patronage if fare prices are too high, but the ride-hailing company adds that it is open to review the situation in the best interest of both passengers and drivers. “The welfare of our drivers is at the forefront of Bolt’s decision. We adjusted the fares taking into account the issue of demand and supply. Excessively high prices will discourage passengers from ordering rides, thus negatively impacting drivers’ earnings. Therefore, our revised fares aim to strike a balance between better compensation for drivers and manageable prices for passengers,” Mohammed said. “Bolt is committed to analysing and conducting extensive reviews to ensure that we continue to provide the best earnings for drivers on our platform and remain the most affordable and preferred platform for passengers.”
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