Bolt driver in Nigeria: Bolt is the second most popular ride hailing service in Nigeria following Uber. Thanks to the likes of Bolt and Uber, commuters can now get around town conveniently and at pocket friendly prices. Not only that, it can create great opportunities for you to increase your income or become your main source of income being a Bolt driving partner.
Advantages of driving with Bolt
- Good income: the average monthly earning of a Bolt driver in Lagos is N400,000
- Anyone can partner with Bolt: regardless you are male or female, all you need is a car that meets Bolt car requirements in Nigeria 2021 or the ability to drive a car.
- You can drive with your own available time: there is no fixed working time and no boss. You drive when you are available.
- No monthly fee, no deposit: you only pay commission when you earn.
You earn on an as-you-work basis. There is no limit to the number of trips that you make in a day or week or even month. Payouts are made weekly.
A ride with Bolt will go like this: Bolt riders shall fill in their destination in the Bolt App, view fare estimate and a designated driver and get picked. Bolt drivers shall receive a ride request via your Bolt driver app, pick up the client and drive to the destination.
Ok, it sounds great! Now what do you need to become a Bolt driver? Let’s check it out!
1. Bolt (Taxify) Nigeria requirements
The most important thing you need before you may become a driver on Bolt is a car that is acceptable on the Bolt platform. Aside from having a car that qualifies for the Bolt platform, you need to have a number of years of driving experience and a valid driver’s license.
Bolt car requirements in Nigeria
In general, your vehicle should be 4-doors sedans or SUV from 2003 & Minivans from 2004. 2-door sedans and hatchbacks are not acceptable on Bolt. Please find the details below:
Accepted vehicles for Lite (Lagos only)
- The model year is between 2002 and 2004
- Your vehicle is a 4-door sedan or SUV
- Your vehicle is in good condition
- Your vehicle can seat at least 4 passengers
Accepted vehicles for Bolt
- Your vehicle is no older than 14 years
- Your vehicle is a 4-door sedan or SUV
- Your vehicle is in good condition
- Your vehicle can seat at least 4 passengers
Accepted vehicles for Comfort (Abuja only)
- Your vehicle is no older than 10 years
- Your vehicle is a 4-door sedan or SUV
- Your vehicle is in good condition
- Your vehicle can seat at least 4 passengers
Accepted vehicles for XL (Lagos only)
- Your vehicle is no older than 15 years
- Your vehicle is an SUV or mini-van
- Your vehicle is in good condition
- Your vehicle can seat at least 6 passengers
Best cars for Bolt business
A car that fits for Bolt business should be sleek yet reliable and has a very good fuel economy. It should also cost little in maintenance so you can minimize the costs and maximize the earnings. Those cars include Toyota Avensis, Honda City and Toyota Corolla.
Now if your car meets the above requirements, here are 2 more things:
- Obtaining driver insurance: this is an auto insurance product provided by AutoGenious. It is mandatory because even if you already have auto insurance, it often doesn’t cover driving-for-hire.
- Having Bolt vehicle inspection: this is a vehicle inspection service provided by AutoGenious that ensures your car is in good condition to provide the service. It costs ₦2000.
What if I don’t have a car?
If you don’t own a car but have a valid driver’s license, you can contact Bolt to find fleet owners or rental companies that offer rented car at a good rate.
No schedule, no boss, good pay. Are you in it to earn extra money besides your 9-5 or make money driving just a few hours on a weekly basis? Or maybe you want to become a full-time Bolt driver earning approximately N120,000 a week? Read this to know all you need to hit the streets in only a few days.
Becoming a driver in just three steps
Here’s a simple instructional video that takes you through the process:
For starters, every Bolt driver in Nigeria must meet a minimum age requirement and possess some valid documents.
Driver requirements:
- Hold a valid driver’s license
- Attend driver training for service quality and use of the Bolt driver application
- A smartphone with GPS
- A clean criminal record
- Additional documents for Lagos: LASDRI Card, Driver Badge and LASRRA Card
Vehicle requirements:
- A vehicle: manufactured in 2003 onwards, 4 doors, fully functional AC
- Vehicle licence
- Insurance certificate
- Proof of ownership
- Certificate of road-worthiness
- AutoGenius Vehicle Inspection Report
- Additional documents for Lagos: State Hackney Permit and a vehicle body tag for all routes
If these are covered, then all it takes to join is signing up. After registering your details (which you can do in under 5 minutes), you will receive an email with all the necessary information about upcoming training and information about getting your documents inspected.
Once registration is completed, your vehicle has to be inspected and certified by any of our registered inspection centres. You can find your closest one here.
Up next is completing the compulsory training. You can go through the training from the comfort of your own home — you will need to take the training remotely and pass 2 tests. Don’t worry, you’ll get all the answers from the video training.
Following your training, it usually takes between 3-4 hours to get your account ready — so you can hit the streets in no time!
Download the Bolt Driver app and pick up your first passenger
First, you will need to download the Bolt Driver app on your smart device (Android, iOS). To start using the app, log in with your chosen username and password. You will receive your login details directly to your email after your driver application has been approved.
- Swipe right to go online and set your driving radius
- When you get a ride request, you will instantly see the pickup address, the distance to the passenger and the estimated time of arrival
- Swipe right to accept the request — you have 20 seconds to do so
- When you have reached the pickup point, swipe right to notify the passenger that you have arrived
If your rider is not with you 4-5 minutes after reaching their pickup point, call them. You can find the option to call the passenger when you click on the three stripes in the upper right corner. If they don’t pick up, you can cancel the ride after 5 minutes. While this scenario of a rider not showing up is more the exception than the rule, your activity score won’t be affected if you mark “client did not show” as the reason for cancellation.
When you reach the set destination, swipe right to end the ride and wish your passenger a good day. Politeness is key in keeping your riders happy and ratings high
Getting paid
Customers pay for Bolt services in two ways — in cash or via card. Cash payments go directly to the driver while card payments reflect in your ending balance and are remitted at the start of each week.
If you are eligible to receive a payout, we will send the funds out during the first half of the week. Depending on your bank’s processing time, the funds should take between 1-2 business days to reflect in your account.
On average, Bolt drivers in Nigeria can earn up to N350,000 each month.
Extra costs
No monthly or hidden fees — Bolt only takes 20% commission on each trip, meaning that you get to keep 80% on every trip. If you want to get more detailed information, please contact us at [email protected].
Driver requirements
- Having a valid driver’s license.
- Completing Bolt driver training: you’ll be trained on how to deliver quality service and how to use the Bolt driver app
2. How do I become a Bolt driver in Nigeria? Step-by-step guide
Below are the 4 steps you need to follow before becoming a Bolt driver, as share by Naijauto, let’s check it out:
Step #1. Sign up
- To register, sign up at Bolt website: partners.taxify.eu/driver-signup
- Alternatively, you can download the Bolt (Taxify) Nigeria driver app:
Download Bolt Driver app for Android
Download Bolt Driver app for iOS
- If you have up to three or more cars, you can register them as a fleet: fleets.taxify.eu/
Step #2. Attend training
After registration and verification of your documents, check your email for the invitation for a driver training session.
Step #3. Get your vehicle accredited
- Visit the nearest AutoGenius facility to get your vehicle inspected. Find the list of AutoGenius facilities in Nigeria at bolt.myautogeniusinspection.com/#centers.
- Purchase DriverShield insurance package at https://www.myautogenius.com/
Step #4. Activation
Once your vehicle has been accredited, you are to visit a Bolt onboarding centre for an onboarding session and profile activation.
You are to take the following documents along with you when visiting the onboarding centre.
- Valid Nigerian Drivers license
- Valid AutoGenius vehicle inspection report
- Vehicle License
Below are the addresses of Bolt onboarding centres across Nigeria:
| Bolt onboarding locations for eligible drivers | ||
| City | Address | Schedule |
| Lagos | 63 Razak Balogun Street, Surulere, Lagos State | Monday – Friday 09:00 – 16:00 |
| Abuja | No 10, Volta Street (Off Thames Street), Maitama, Abuja | Monday – Friday 09:00 – 15:00 |
| Benin City | Ehanire House, 34 Akpakpava Road Benin City, Benin | Monday – Friday 10:00 – 13:00 |
| Calabar | The LiftHub Complex, 6A Housing Estate Road, Calabar | Monday – Friday 10:00 – 13:00 |
| Ibadan | 2nd Floor, No 34 Samonda Road, Ibadan | Monday – Friday 10:00 – 13:00 |
| Owerri | No. B49/B66 L’Arcade Mall, 14C Okohia Layout, World Bank Area L, New Owerri, Imo State | Monday – Friday 10:00 – 13:00 |
| Uyo | 235, Oron Road (Before Shelter Afrique), Uyo | Monday – Friday 10:00 – 13:00 |
Bolt driver in Nigeria: Note that you will need to provide the car owner’s name and contact details if the vehicle does not belong to you as the driver. This step is to put in place to avoid using other people’s cars without their express permission.