Ride-hailing app Bolt has been forced to restrict inter-country ride requests between Nigeria and South Africa – following a bizarre social media-driven prank war.
Users from both countries engaged in a malicious game of booking and canceling rides across borders, leaving drivers stranded and wasting valuable resources.
The prank, which appears to have started on social media platforms, quickly escalated as users in both countries retaliated against each other. Drivers reported receiving ride requests from international numbers, only to find no passengers upon arrival at the designated pickup locations.
Munyaradzi Chinyama, a Zimbabwean Bolt driver in Cape Town, told the BBC he received three fake ride requests before realizing they were not genuine. “I wasted a lot of fuel, time, and money,” he said.
Another driver said he drove from Cape Town to Stellenbosch to pick up a customer only to realise it was a fake request.
An angry driver in Nigeria said:
“This is inconsiderate to our plight. At a time that fuel is scarce and also expensive, no reasonable person should be doing this.”
The situation has had severe consequences for drivers already grappling with rising fuel costs and economic hardships. Many drivers reported logging off the app, leaving genuine customers stranded and causing price surges in both countries.
In response to this, Bolt started blocking users participating in the prank, thereafter, restricting the inter-country request feature between Nigeria and South Africa.
The company stated, through its Country Manager in Nigeria, Yahaya Mohammed:
“We understand the impact this situation has had on our driver-partners in Nigeria and South Africa. We are committed to ensuring a safe, reliable, and secure experience for all members of our community.”
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The incident has sparked discussions about the responsible use of ride-hailing apps and the impact of social media rivalries on real-world consequences. Many social media users have condemned the prank, emphasizing the unfair treatment of hardworking drivers trying to make an honest living.
As the dust settles, both Bolt and its users are left to reflect on the unintended consequences of online behavior and the importance of considerate app usage.