Bolt acts to halt Nigeria-South Africa ‘taxi-war’
LAGOS — Online taxi firm Bolt has restricted “inter-country” requests between Nigeria and South Africa after the two countries’ social media rivalry reached an all-time high – or low – with people booking and then cancelling rides in the other nation as a prank.
The drivers were pawns in this malicious game as they were sent on a wild goose chase to find passengers who weren’t even in the same country.
Munyaradzi Chinyama, a Zimbabwean Bolt driver based in Cape Town, told the BBC he received three ride requests before he realised they were not genuine. He said he wasted a lot of fuel, time and money.
Bolt told the BBC it had identified and blocked users participating in this cruel game.
“We understand the impact this situation has had on our driver-partners in Nigeria and South Africa,” it said in a statement.
It said inter-country requests would still work between other countries.
Mr Chinyama told the BBC he had been inundated with insulting messages through the Bolt messaging feature that connects drivers with passengers.
He said he was called various names, including “Mandela’s son”.
It is unclear how this “Bolt war” started but social media users in sub-Saharan Africa’s two biggest economies have a long history of trolling each other.
“When I’m bored, I request [Bolt] in Nigeria, akere their brothers are disrespecting us,” one user said on X on Tuesday. This seems to have set off the chain of events and Nigerians swiftly retaliated.
A disgruntled Nigerian driver based in Kano told the BBC he received an order for an airport trip from an international number but the person didn’t show up.
He said he wasn’t the only victim. Many of his colleagues faced similar issues.
BBC
