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  • Lagos, Nigeria
  • Info@bhluemountain.com
  • Office Hours: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Mon - Fri
  • May 19 2025
  • BM

Bolt tested inDrive’s fare negotiation model in Nigeria; here’s how that went

Caught between mounting driver demands for lower commissions and the growing popularity of inDrive’s fare-negotiation model, Bolt quietly piloted a “negotiate” feature in select Nigerian cities from November 2024 to February 2025. The feature, which allowed riders and drivers to agree on fares upfront, aimed to address persistent complaints about opaque pricing and shrinking driver earnings. But after a  few months, the company shelved the experiment, with “no plans to introduce the negotiate feature more broadly.” “At Bolt, we’re constantly exploring new ways to improve the rider and driver experience across our markets,” a Bolt spokesperson told TechCabal in an email response. “Between November 2024 and February 2025, we conducted a limited-time pilot of a fare negotiation feature to better understand how flexible pricing models might impact user experience and platform dynamics.”  The test comes after the ride-hailing platform introduced a flexible pricing system in May 2024, allowing passengers to offer higher fares to drivers to increase their chances of getting rides during periods of high driver demand.  Bolt’s decision to drop the negotiate feature suggests the pilot failed to meet the company’s internal benchmarks. Possible internal metrics may have included user adoption rates, rider and driver satisfaction, impact on trip completion times, changes in average fare, and overall platform safety and security. If the negotiate feature did not improve key metrics, or worse, led to more disputes, longer wait times, or increased off-app transactions, Bolt would have little reason to proceed. With drivers already informally negotiating fares, the company likely concluded that formalising the process offered limited benefits and introduced new risks, especially around pricing consistency and platform safety. “My assumption is that the feature didn’t solve the problem the way they imagined it, and it also doesn’t impact revenue,” said Ayodeji Audu, a Lagos-based mobility analyst and co-founder of EV mobility company Reown.  Get the best African tech newsletters in your inbox Country Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Antarctic Territory British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Canton and Enderbury Islands Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos [Keeling] Islands Colombia Comoros Congo – Brazzaville Congo – Kinshasa Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Côte d’Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Dronning Maud Land East Germany Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories French Southern and Antarctic Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Honduras Hong Kong SAR China Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Johnston Island Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau SAR China Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Metropolitan France Mexico Micronesia Midway Islands Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar [Burma] Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles Neutral Zone New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Korea North Vietnam Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pacific Islands Trust Territory Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Panama Canal Zone Papua New Guinea Paraguay People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen Peru Philippines Pitcairn Islands Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Korea Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria São Tomé and Príncipe Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu U.S. Minor Outlying Islands U.S. Miscellaneous Pacific Islands U.S. Virgin Islands Uganda Ukraine Union of Soviet Socialist Republics United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Unknown or Invalid Region Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City Venezuela Vietnam Wake Island Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Åland Islands ?> Gender Male Female Others TC Daily Events <!– Next Wave –> <!– Entering Tech –> Subscribe Bolt’s fare negotiation was widely seen as a calculated response to mounting pressure from drivers over its 20% commission and a perceived lack of platform support. Drivers have staged repeated protests against Bolt and Uber in major cities, including coordinated strikes in Lagos and Abuja since 2021, demanding lower commissions. The feature was also introduced in response to growing competition from inDrive, which surged in popularity in 2023—due to shrinking customer pockets and fuel hikes—by capitalising on its simple, cash-based, negotiable fare model.  The company, which launched in Nigeria in 2019, has attracted many price-sensitive riders and drivers who want flexibility.  However, Bolt still retains the lead in Nigeria with a 66% market share, according to Queva Advisory, a Nigerian management consulting firm.  “I would have loved it if the negotiate feature was left permanent. It is something we’ve been asking for,” said Celestine Finbar, a Lagos-based Bolt driver who has used the platform for over four years. “After they slashed commissions, we were barely surviving. Negotiation gives us more control, like we’re finally being heard.” Pricing remains the biggest priority for ride-hailing customers in Lagos, regardless of new features. “If I can negotiate on both Bolt and inDrive, my decision still comes down to whichever is cheaper and closer,” said Muktar Oladunmade, a frequent user of both platforms. Globally, alternative ride-hailing models are gaining traction. In India, ride-hailing startup Namma Yatri has prompted Uber and Bolt to introduce a subscription-based system, where drivers pay a fixed daily fee instead of

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