<a href="http://bolt.eu" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Bolt</a> Nigeria will henceforth suspend the accounts of drivers who solicit offline trips. This was revealed in a statement made available by the ride-hailing company to Technext. According to the hailing company, this move is aimed at deterring users on its platform from taking offline trips and paying off the app. The company hopes the move will further enhance the safety and well-being of riders.
This development is coming as the on-demand mobility company introduced a new offline trip cancellation feature in its app. With the new feature, riders will now be able to cancel a trip by selecting the option ‘driver asked to pay off-the-app’ under specific circumstances.
“The feature is expected to empower riders to take immediate action should they encounter situations where the driver asks for payment for a trip outside the app, requests payment exceeding the agreed-upon trip fare, or encourages cancellation of the trip to go offline,” the statement reads.
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 Yahaya Mohammed, Bolt Nigeria Country Manager
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Speaking on the development, Bolt Nigeria Country Manager, Yahaya Mohammed explained that the cancellation feature is designed to cut down on offline trips and address instances where drivers insist on charging rates exceeding those on the app. He said the company strongly discourages both drivers and riders from using the platform to exchange contact details or negotiate for offline trips as it goes against the safety and reliability they aim to uphold for users.
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 “When drivers and riders go offline, essential safety features like GPS tracking and SOS coverage in the app become inactive, leaving users vulnerable and without access to critical in-app safety tools. Remaining online ensures the effectiveness of these features and prioritizes the safety of our users. Mitigating actions are also in place for drivers continuously reported as soliciting offline trips. These actions include temporary bans and account suspensions, as we remain dedicated to providing a secure platform for everyone.”&nbsp;<cite>Yahaya Mohammed</cite>
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He also said Bolt is committed to providing a secure and reliable ride-hailing experience for all users and the introduction of the new cancellation reason option reinforces this commitment, offering riders a powerful tool to prioritize their safety and well-being.
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<h4 id="the-proliferation-of-offline-trips" data-beyondwords-marker="eed650b6-f0fb-48c8-81f1-8ea2832c6a78">The proliferation of offline trips</h4>
Offline trips are becoming more common following a hike in fuel prices and rising inflation which has greatly affected the earning power of ride-hailing drivers. Following the fuel hike, drivers embarked on a strike demanding as much as 200 per cent increase in fares. With these demands not met, drivers started adopting offline trips to make up the difference.
Breaking it down, a driver told Technext that:
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote" data-beyondwords-marker="8269fbea-cbde-460e-8c14-8bb98bc3b70c">
 25 litres of fuel used to be N4600 and we always make up to N25,000 with it. Commission on N25,000 work is around N6,250 depending on the app used. Now that 25 litres is now N12,200 and if we still have to battle with the old fare and same commission, N12,200 for fuel will still give you N6,250 for commission. So how do u buy fuel the following day to work talk less of profit? We have to reason it well b4 jumping to the street to work
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In the wake of these, <a href="https://technext24.com/2023/06/15/avoid-offline-trips-bolt-tells-drivers/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Technext projected in a report</a> back in June that offline trips would witness a huge rise as drivers, in a bid to give themselves a chance to earn more, will merely use ride-hailing apps for hailing before proceeding to reach offline agreements with riders.
Indeed, while calling off the strike, the ride-hailing drivers union, AUATWON, in its statement, had called on drivers to “work with wisdom”, a phrase that was interpreted by many drivers to mean, negotiate your own price and give yourself a chance. This trend, which existed in patches before, is widely gaining ground.
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But Bolt appears to be taking the bull by the horns by giving riders the power to essentially report drivers who negotiate offline trips. The company’s core focus has always been the safety of its drivers and riders because when asked if it was bothered about the rising incidents of offline rides, the company had said:
“We strongly discourage the use of the platform by drivers and/or riders to access contacts and to negotiate for offline trips. This is because taking trips offline, turns off the app’s GPS tracking and SOS coverage, thereby, neither the driver, nor the rider is traceable on the platform in case of accidents, or emergencies.“

Bolt Nigeria to ban drivers who solicit offline trips as it introduces offline trip cancellation for riders

Technext.ng

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