Bolt, the popular ride-hailing service, finds itself embroiled in controversy as users in Warri, Delta State, expressed anger and frustration over what they perceive as exorbitant charges. The outcry has ignited a heated debate on social media platforms, following a post by GbaramatuVoice on Facebook and Instagram, posing the question: “Why do Bolt drivers in Warri operate differently from those in other cities? Share your experience with Bolt drivers in Warri.”
Users have taken to social media to voice their grievances, citing instances of alleged overcharging and lack of transparency in fare calculations. Many residents of Warri have shared their negative experiences, expressing concern over the impact on their trust and confidence in the Bolt service.
In response to the viral post by GbaramatuVoice, here are some of the reactions from social media users:
Young Chief: The most arrogant set of people I’ve seen.
Amara: They inflate the price, they should just close the app.
Elohor: The bolt drivers in Warri are very annoying. I booked a ride from Mopol base to Ekete Waterside and on the app its was 1700 but when I called the driver he asked me how much was on the app and I told him 1700 he said he can’t go to Udu for less than 10k. That was the day I deleted the app.
Ato: Excalty my thought got into warri Nigeria all the bolt I order took extra money from me , telling me due to fuel price not arguing thinking its was new development , getting to ph after a week discovered bolt drivers uses map and add no extra charges wooow same fuel price. Its sad.
Famous: Do they even have one in warri? What I see are all individuals who use their car for side hustles because for me that’s not ubar or bolt.
Robert Idigu: Warri drivers are greedy. Driver will charge you offline rate different from the app. As if bolt forced them to register.
Lucky: Book them when them come u hear I will go offline and I will not take that amount from the app.
CNDCY: Warri is a city dominated by Yahoo boys so they think every one can pay same amount been paid by the Yahoo boys.
Owhe: I requested for a ride yesterday, as soon as they accepted the ride, they called me and asked where I’m going then gave me price that’s far higher than what the app calculated as cost for the trip. For example, the app is showing my N2,500 but they are asking for N6,500. It happened not just with one driver but six different drivers that accepted my request. Honestly, Warri things are always different. I have been using bolt and uber for long in other cities and state I have never experienced what I experienced yesterday in warri.
Ogar Emma: Bolt no buy car for any driver take note of that, and yet u know the cost of buying car now abi? And also cost of fuel if you have issues taking bolt kindly enter keke or bus and stop disturbing people, nobody force you to enter bolt, na you use your hand request them, na their car Dem go do how Dem like, bolt no buy car for them. Happy Sunday I come in peace.
Rex: Very nonsense people…. I always report them bcos of there greed to extort money for passengers through that there offline parade.
Egbas: Lack of exposure and greed. I remember when I was in Abuja. Sometimes when I book a ride from my house to the supermarket the app charges 500 naira. And that’s what the driver will actually take from you except you are willing to pay extra. But in Warri here bcos of greed they don’t want to negotiate anything relating the app. My question is do those bolt driver in Abuja buy fuel with a price different from ours? We are just doing ourselves. Bcos most people don’t tend to use bolt anymore bcos of how unprofessional some drivers can be.
In response to the viral post by GbaramatuVoice, Bolt issued a statement in which they emphasized their zero-tolerance policy towards drivers who request fares outside of what is displayed in the app. A representative from Bolt responded to one of the comments on Instagram, stating: “Hello Liz, we want to stress that we have a zero-tolerance policy towards drivers who request fares outside of what is displayed in the app. We encourage you to promptly report any such incidents to us via the app, and we will conduct a thorough investigation and apply appropriate action. We have established a code of conduct and terms of service for both drivers and passengers across all categories on our platform. Drivers who violate these terms, such as overcharging riders, will be subject to disciplinary actions.”
Despite Bolt’s response, users continue to express their dissatisfaction with the current situation, calling for more transparency and fair pricing.
The growing discontent among users has prompted calls for Bolt to take swift action to address the concerns raised by residents of Warri. The debate continues to gain momentum on social media platforms, with users eagerly awaiting further updates from Bolt.
As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how Bolt will navigate this challenge and regain the trust of its users in Warri.
For more information and to join the conversation, follow GbaramatuVoice on Facebook and Instagram.
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