The technology ride-hailing company, Bolt, has announced that it has suspended an unspecified number of accounts engaged in soliciting fraudulent ride requests and subsequently canceling them.
The ride-hailing application has also limited requests for rides between countries due to a significant increase in such requests in Nigeria and South Africa.
In the early hours of Thursday, a new chapter unfolded in the heated online dispute between Nigerians and South Africans, as both groups entered into yet another contest for dominance.
Citizens from both nations have taken to ordering e-hailing drivers from one another’s countries, all from the comfort of their own homes.
South Africans initiated the event by reportedly requesting rides from Bolt and Uber drivers in Nigeria, only to cancel when the drivers arrived at the designated pick-up points. In response, Nigerians reciprocated by hailing rides in South Africa, demonstrating the strength of unity in numbers.
In response to the situation, Yahaya Mohammed, the Country Manager for Bolt in Nigeria, released a statement highlighting that the company is actively addressing the problem of fraudulent ride requests. He emphasized that a comprehensive investigation has been launched to assess and improve their security measures.
He said, “Bolt is aware of the fake ride request incident between some individuals in Nigeria and South Africa.
“We have successfully taken measures to resolve the issue of fake ride requests affecting our driver-partners, particularly those operating in Nigeria and South Africa. The integrity and safety of our platform, both for driver-partners and riders, is our utmost priority.
“Following a thorough investigation and the implementation of enhanced security measures, we have addressed this issue swiftly by restricting inter-country ride requests. Additionally, those responsible for this malicious activity have been identified and held accountable by blocking them from the Bolt app.”
