Bolt has announced it will be piloting two new options to both drivers and riders in the Kenyan market. These new options are:

Allowing drivers to set their own prices
Allowing passengers to select their driver.

Drivers:

The company has said this innovation is designed to make the platform even more attractive to drivers by putting them firmly in control of their entrepreneurial journey.

Bolt says drivers have consistently requested for more flexibility with pricing and this option should be a fix to the current problem where many drivers accept and then reject trips if a more profitable option arises, leading to a poor rider experience.

The company explains that drivers will be able to set their own prices within a range of price per kilometre. This will allow them achieve their own preferences but within a range dependent on local market conditions.

Alternatively, drivers can also choose to continue with Bolt’s own dynamic standard pricing.

Riders:

In what the company terms as an effort to ensure riders enjoy a greater trip experience, passengers can now manually select a preferred driver based on a number of factors such as price fare, expected time of arrival, and driver rating.

In addition to these factors, riders can also see additional information such as Driver Photo, Driver Name and Car Details to help empower their decision for their trip.

The pilot is currently only running in Kenya. The company says it has over 50 000 drivers and hundreds of thousands of customers in Kenya across 17 cities and towns.

Speaking about the changes, Kenneth Micah, Bolt’s Regional Manager for East Africa said:

“Drivers have consistently asked us for the ability to set their own prices so they can ensure a journey is profitable enough before it’s accepted. We have built our business around giving drivers total flexibility. These changes are part of that philosophy and will create a better functioning marketplace. While driver needs are met, it was just as critically important to ensure riders enjoy the same liberty by selecting a driver of their choice for their trip. This is another way we are ensuring riders know that the drivers with impeccable ratings are available for their trip. We hope that this will result in great experiences for both stakeholders as we continue to find innovative solutions for pleasant experiences”