Bolt introduces new vehicle categories and riding fares

Digital taxi hailing service Bolt has introduced new vehicle categories and riding fares. In the new changes, Bolt has introduced a new category dubbed ‘Comfort’. This category will cater to larger vehicles that were previously classified under the ‘Standard’ category and will allow drivers to charge higher riding fares.

At the same time, Bolt has introduced new requirements that vehicles in the ‘Comfort’ category must meet. These categories include working air conditioning system and a vehicle age not exceeding 8 years. The ‘Comfort’ category is expected to charge the highest riding fares out of all the available Bolt vehicle categories.

The service has also separated vehicles based on engine capacity, with low engine capacity vehicles going into the low fare category and higher capacity vehicles getting leeway to charge more in riding fares.

For instance, Bolt has removed all vehicles with more than 1,000cc engine capacity from the ‘Economy’ category. These vehicles have now been upgraded to the ‘Standard’ category. They include Nissan Note, Toyota Vitz, Mazda Demio and Honda Fit.

The ‘Standard’ category charges more than the ‘Economy’ category. Vehicles under ‘Standard’ must not be more than ten years old. They will be allowed to carry up to four passengers.

The ‘Economy’ category has now reserved for vehicles whose engine capacity is below 1,000 such as the Toyota Passo, Suzuki Alto, Suzuki Wagon, Renault Kwid, and Daihatsu Mira. Vehicles in this category will be allowed to only carry three passengers at a time and can older than ten years.

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At the same time, vehicles with engine capacity of more than 1,000 will be allowed to operate under the ‘Economy’ category.

“This update is about creating the best match between trip types and vehicles, so drivers spend less time idling, and riders get the experience they expect. We believe this shift will make earning more efficient and sustainable for drivers especially in the long term,” said Bolt Kenya Country Manager Dimmy Kanyankole.