Bolt halts "inter-country" rides after Nigeria-South Africa row

People were booking and then cancelling rides in the other country as a prank.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS ElectionUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessWomen at the HelmFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersBolt acts to halt Nigeria-South Africa 'taxi-war'AFPMany drivers wasted their fuel driving to customers who never intended to use their servicesOnline 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.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce9zr12e8deo

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