Bolt announces price hike amid increase in fuel cost

Nairobi, March 2022 – Ride-hailing app, Bolt has increased its fares by 4 percent, an increment it said, is aimed at hedging driver earnings on the platform against the 3.9 percent increase in fuel cost.

Under the new rates, bolt riders will get an additional Shs 0.47 for each Km completed on-trip.

Bolt previously charged Shs 26.90 per kilometre on its budget ride category (dubbed Lite), and the new changes will see the prices go up to KES 27.37 per kilometre in Nairobi.

Bolt has also increased the minimum fare for the Lite category from Ksh. 150 to Ksh.180 and start fee from Kshs. 55 to Kshs. 70.

Bolt Base, Bolt Green and Bolt Women Only will also have similar increases in fare per Km. Per Km prices on the XL category will increase by KES 0.66 fare per Km as these are larger engine cars.

Kenneth Micah, Regional Manager, Bolt Eastern Africa, in a statement, said that the new prices will reflect the current market realities expressing confidence that the rates will cushion against rising in fuel cost, and therefore contribute to sustained strong earnings on the platform.

“Drivers are at the core of our operations, and we truly believe that happy drivers provide better quality service for customers. As such, we’ve been doing extensive reviews to ensure that we continue to provide the best earnings for drivers on our platform and remain the most affordable and preferred platform by customers. We have therefore reviewed our pricing to

The changes will be implemented across all Bolt ride categories in Nairobi as the company undertakes to review fares across other towns in line with the EPRA guidelines on fuel prices per city.

To further cushion the drivers from the high cost of fuel, Bolt has a running long-term partnership with Rubis Energy Kenya that allows drivers on the platform to enjoy Shs 4 discount per litre of fuel.

According to the partnership, Bolt drivers are issued with a prepaid Rubis card that allows them to enjoy a KES 4 discount per litre of fuel and a world class convenience while at any Rubis Gas Station countrywide.

“We continue to work on the holistic driver experience and to provide the support they need to be successful in their businesses.We’ll continue to listen, analyse and innovate our services to the benefit of our drivers and passengers. We believe that these initiatives will also make it possible for passengers to access affordable transport whilst providing better earnings for drivers,” added Micah.