Is Bolt Cheaper than Uber Today in 2024? & More

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In my experience, Bolt is generally cheaper than Uber, especially that Bolt regularly sends customers promotional codes so that rides are actually often cheaper than the stated price.

Bolt Tanzania App

You can download the Bolt Tanzania app here on the Google Play Store, or here from the Apple App Store.

Uber and Bolt Kenya

Uber and Bolt in Kenya: An Overview

Uber

Overview:

Launch: Uber entered the Kenyan market in January 2015.
Service Areas: Uber operates primarily in major cities such as Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu.
Features:
UberX: The standard ride option for individuals and small groups.
UberXL: For larger groups, typically offering SUVs and vans.
Uber ChapChap: A low-cost service option using smaller, fuel-efficient cars.
Uber Boda: Motorcycle taxi service for quick and cost-effective transport.
Payment Methods: Accepts both cash and digital payments (e.g., M-Pesa, credit/debit cards).
Safety Measures: Includes features like in-app emergency assistance, driver background checks, and a rating system for both drivers and passengers.

Bolt

Overview:

Launch: Bolt (formerly Taxify) started operations in Kenya in 2016.
Service Areas: Similar to Uber, Bolt operates in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and other major towns.
Features:
Bolt Base: The standard ride service.
Bolt XL: For larger groups or those requiring more space.
Bolt Lite: More affordable, with smaller cars.
Bolt Boda: Motorcycle taxi service.
Bolt Green: An eco-friendly option using electric or hybrid vehicles.
Payment Methods: Offers a variety of payment options, including cash, M-Pesa, and cards.
Safety Measures: Includes real-time tracking, SOS buttons, and a rating system.

Common Features and Benefits

Convenience: Both platforms offer easy-to-use mobile apps for booking rides.
Availability: Widely available in major urban areas, with a high density of drivers ensuring relatively short wait times.
Affordability: Competitive pricing with frequent promotions and discounts.
Safety: Both companies prioritize passenger and driver safety with features like emergency buttons, real-time tracking, and stringent driver vetting processes.

Challenges and Criticisms

Regulation: Both companies have faced regulatory challenges and disputes with local authorities and traditional taxi operators.
Driver-Partner Issues: Concerns over earnings, commissions, and working conditions for drivers have been ongoing topics of discussion and protest.
Safety Concerns: While both platforms emphasize safety, incidents involving both passengers and drivers have occasionally raised concerns.

Impact on Transportation

Transformation: Uber and Bolt have significantly transformed urban transportation in Kenya, offering reliable alternatives to traditional taxis and public transport.
Employment: Provided income opportunities for many Kenyans, both as full-time and part-time drivers.
Innovation: Encouraged innovation and competition within the transportation sector, leading to improved services and the introduction of new features and services.

Recent Developments

Expansion: Both companies are continuously expanding their service offerings, such as food delivery and courier services.
Technology: Ongoing investment in technology to enhance user experience and safety features.

I haven’t owned a car in 16 years.

As you can probably imagine, I use more than my fair share of ride hailing services!

But…I am not complaining. In fact, I am quite grateful.

For most of those years, ride hailing services didn’t exist where I live. And in my corner of the world, the public transportation system is nothing to brag about.

And then, in June 2016, all that changed.

Within 10 days of each other, Uber began operating in both Kampala and Dar es Salaam, the cities where I spend the most time.

READ ALSO: Uber Office Sandton & More

My First Experiences With Uber

The beginning with Uber was rough. I won’t tell you much more about that here.

You can read all about it in Uber Tanzania App & More.

Eventually, though, other than minor irritations such as East African Uber drivers insisting on calling riders to ask them about their location before picking them up (come on, what’s the app’s map for?!), the teething problems are pretty much done, and Uber operates smoothly wherever it is available in East Africa, namely in Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya.

But…as the saying goes, when it rains it pours.

Within three years of first learning that Uber was available in East Africa, we had, for instance, not one but 6(!) ride hailing services operating in Dar es Salaam.

Twende app by Tigo — Twende ride hailing service by Tanzanian telecom company Tigo

Many of these services also operate elsewhere in the region and, furthermore, there’s a slew of others that operate elsewhere in the region but not in Tanzania. I am sure you get the picture.

Still, the two biggest players in most of East Africa’s larger cities are Uber and Bolt (formerly Taxify).

When I originally decided to write this post, my intention was to tell you about a service that I LOVE and use regularly: Bolt’s boda boda (motorcycle taxi) service.

As I began to write this post, though, I realized that, without rhyme or reason, I use both Bolt and Uber regularly, though I use them differently.

Photo Credits: ikalkulator.pl, tigo, CanGo, Fahdi Ahmed, Patrick Katefu