Amid the license renewal case, Bolts reassures Kenyans of its local commitment

These are issues which we hope will be addressed in a timely manner. It would also be a good thing for Bolt to find a middle ground with its driver partners as they are mostly dissatisfied with the platform, with some of them choosing other e-taxi apps (there are a total of 14 licensed e-taxi apps in Kenya) that are more attractive in terms of commissions.
Bolt

E-cab app Bolt has been trending today after it emerged that NTSA had paused its license renewal. According to NTSA, the issue here is that Bolt was overbilling drivers by more than 18% in commission. The 18% value was announced last year following a directive from the Ministry of Transport. Bolt agreed to the terms, and later, Uber did the same. However, both companies introduced a booking fee, which the NTSA called ‘illegal.’ Both companies argue that booking fees, which are subtracted from a driver’s weekly earnings (and paid for by the rider), are used to improve their platforms with innovative features.

To this end, drivers complained to Bolt, and the matter arrived at NTSA’s desk. Therefore, before the license discussion can proceed, NTSA wants Bolt to detail what it plans to do to squash the complaints while making the platform attractive and happy, as it has suffered from multiple cases of ‘bad PR’.

On the other hand, Bolt says that it has been compliant with regulations and plans to do so in the future as the matter is being resolved.

“In response to the ongoing conversations on our licence renewal, Bolt would like to reaffirm our commitment to the Kenyan market. Adherence to Kenyan regulations remains a top priority as it is foundational to building a long-term sustainable business that positively contributes to all stakeholders in the ecosystem. We remain open to collaborative dialogue with our regulator, driver partners and the wider public to continually ensure full compliance with regulation and expand income generation within our platform,” Bolt says in a statement.

A few months ago, Bolt launched a local office to address driver concerns. In the past, drivers were limited to e-mail or phone correspondence with Bolt’s head office whenever they experienced a dispute on the platform.

Bolt adds: “We continue to provide additional support through our Driver App as well as via our online platforms. Over and above the existing features on our Driver App, we continue to meet with our driver community and driver groups from time to time and are also constantly working on the holistic driver experience, to provide the support they need to be successful in their businesses.”

These are issues which we hope will be addressed in a timely manner. It would also be a good thing for Bolt to find a middle ground with its driver partners as they are mostly dissatisfied with the platform, with some of them choosing other e-taxi apps (there are a total of 14 licensed e-taxi apps in Kenya) that are more attractive in terms of commissions.

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