Ride-hailing platform, Bolt, has expressed concern over the current economic environment, including fuel price volatility and rising operating costs, saying these pressures are affecting the entire mobility value chain.

The company said fare pricing, incentives and product features are continuously reviewed to balance driver earnings with rider affordability and service reliability.

The clarifications follow recent public questions around driver earnings, pricing structures and platform operations.

Giving an example, Bolt said for a typical N5,000 ride in Lagos, drivers earn over 75 per cent of the total fare, while the platform’s commission covers marketplace operations such as safety systems, customer support, insurance, app infrastructure and demand generation.

Addressing newsmen in Lagos, the ride-hailing company reiterated that the briefing was not in response to any specific protest or action, but part of a proactive effort to engage the media with accurate information before misinformation becomes established as public narrative.

Head of Regulatory & Policy Africa, Weyinmi Aghadiuno, said: “Sustainable ride-hailing is not about commissions in isolation; it is about ensuring that drivers can earn consistently, passengers can afford reliable transport, and cities can depend on safe, well-functioning mobility systems.

“At Bolt, driver livelihoods are central to how we design pricing, incentives and product features. Our role as a platform is to invest in demand generation, safety infrastructure, insurance, customer support and technology that enable drivers to maximise their earning potential over time, even amid rising fuel costs and broader economic pressures. These conversations must be grounded in the full economic reality if we are to build a ride-hailing ecosystem that works for everyone.”