Ride-hailing app, Bolt has taken swift action to address a recent trend of fake ride requests and cancellations in Nigeria and South Africa.
The company has blocked numerous accounts engaging in this behavior and restricted intercountry ride requests to prevent further incidents.
This move comes after several users shared screenshots on social media, exposing the trend where individuals would request rides in either Nigeria or South Africa, only to cancel them after a driver accepted.
The motivations behind this trend are unclear, but it has resulted in financial losses for drivers who are not reimbursed for fuel spent on cancelled rides.
“We understand the impact this situation has had on our driver-partners in Nigeria and South Africa,” said Yahaya Mohammed, Bolt’s Country Manager in Nigeria. “We are committed to ensuring a safe, reliable, and secure experience for all members of our community.”
Some drivers have reported significant losses due to these fake requests, with one Cape Town-based driver sharing their experience of driving 50km to pick up a customer, only to find it was a fake request.
