By Emmanuel Ogbodo
Bolt, a leading ride-hailing company, is enticing drivers with a 15% commission bonus. This incentive, detailed in a message, is aimed at retaining drivers on its platform. The offer, which started today, runs from 5 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. To qualify, drivers must complete five trips in a day. The bonus kicks in with the sixth trip, providing a 15% return on the commission paid for that and subsequent trips. Drivers must also maintain a 40% acceptance rate and a 55% completion rate for the initial five trips to be eligible.
“Get 15% commission kickback bonus by just driving five trips. Just finish five trips in a day with 40% Acceptance Rate and 55% Completion Rate to get 15% commission kickback bonus on all your trips,” the message states.
Bolt is facing challenges in keeping drivers engaged amid increasing competition. A Technext poll among e-hailing drivers found Bolt to be the least favoured of the top three apps, with InDrive leading at 47.4% of votes, followed by Uber at 31.5%, and Bolt trailing with 15.8%. This makes Bolt significantly less popular than its competitors, with drivers pointing to its ‘acceptance rating’ system as a major drawback.
The acceptance rate measures the percentage of accepted orders from the last 100 requests. A healthy rate is above 80%, while a rate below 60% may lead to being blocked from the platform. Bolt’s latest offer allows for a minimum 40% acceptance rate to qualify for the bonus, indicating a shift in its strategy.
Bolt is also struggling to retain passengers, who follow where drivers go. The company has relied on offering some of the cheapest fares, attracting passengers but distancing drivers, who opt for rival apps. Although Bolt asserts that drivers are central to its business, it has launched initiatives like the Drivers Novelty Match on June 12, themed “Building a Stronger Community,” to strengthen driver relations and acknowledge their importance.
Additionally, Bolt partnered with credit technology firm Advancly to provide short-term loans to drivers, supporting their financial needs and boosting productivity. This initiative is tied to a reward system, requiring consistent operation on the platform.
Bolt’s overarching strategy focuses on creating a loyal driver community through bonding initiatives. However, these measures do not directly address drivers’ concerns about better earnings.
