Passengers heading to and from Nigerian airports can breathe a little easier as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has cleared Bolt to resume operations at all airports under its management.
The decision follows days of complaints from travelers who were caught between disrupted e-hailing services and the significantly higher fares charged by conventional airport taxis.
For many passengers, the issue was more than just a transportation inconvenience. It meant paying substantially more to complete a journey they had previously been able to make through ride-hailing platforms at a lower cost.
FAAN has now moved to calm the situation, announcing that it has reached an operational agreement with Bolt and that the ride-hailing company can immediately return to FAAN-managed airports.
In a statement signed by its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, the authority also apologised to passengers who were affected by the temporary disruption.
According to FAAN, the dispute did not begin with a desire to control or profit from taxi fares at airports.
The authority said it has been dealing with problems involving commercial and e-hailing vehicles at Nigerian airports for almost a decade.
Among the concerns, FAAN listed passenger solicitation, touting, random pick-ups, unregulated operations and questions around safety and accountability.
The authority also noted that some drivers operate across multiple ride-hailing platforms, creating challenges around identifying and monitoring commercial vehicles operating within the airport environment.
In other words, FAAN said it needed greater control over who picks up passengers, where they pick them up and how transportation activities are conducted within airport premises.
To tackle some of these problems, FAAN introduced the Airport Car Hire Rank Management System, known as ACHRAMS.
But as the controversy unfolded, some passengers appeared to interpret the system as a new airport transportation platform designed to replace or compete with popular e-hailing services such as Bolt and Uber.
FAAN strongly rejected that interpretation.
The authority explained that ACHRAMS is not an e-hailing application and was never created to compete with existing mobility platforms.
It also denied claims that it had introduced new airport taxi fares.
“ACHRAMS is not an e-hailing application and was never conceived as a competitor to Uber, Bolt or any other mobility platform,” FAAN said.
The authority added that the fares being discussed publicly were not newly imposed by FAAN or created by ACHRAMS.
Rather, FAAN said airport taxi rates existed before ACHRAMS and that the system simply made those rates more visible to passengers.
That explanation, however, did little to erase the reality passengers experienced.
With e-hailing services temporarily unavailable, travelers who had become accustomed to booking relatively affordable rides suddenly had fewer options.
FAAN acknowledged that the disparity between conventional airport taxi fares and the cheaper prices passengers were accustomed to paying through e-hailing platforms contributed significantly to the backlash.
The authority admitted that passengers experienced both increased costs and inconvenience.
“FAAN is aware of and deeply appreciates the concerns expressed by passengers over the increased cost and inconvenience experienced during the temporary interruption of e-hailing services,” it said.
“We sincerely apologize for the difficulties this caused our passengers.”
Despite the backlash, FAAN maintained that its actions were motivated by safety, security and regulatory concerns rather than financial interests.
The authority said it had listened to the complaints and reconsidered the immediate impact of the disruption on travelers.
“While the authority’s actions were driven by regulatory, safety and security considerations rather than economic interests, FAAN acknowledges that the immediate impact on passengers was significant,” it said.
“We have listened, reflected and made the necessary adjustments.”
The turning point came after discussions between FAAN and Bolt.
Following what the airport authority described as constructive engagements, both sides agreed on a framework governing Bolt’s operations within FAAN-managed airports.
FAAN subsequently announced that Bolt had been cleared to resume services immediately.
“The authority is therefore pleased to announce that, following constructive engagements, FAAN and Bolt have reached an agreeable operational framework and Bolt is cleared to commence its services at FAAN-managed airports immediately,” the statement said.
The agreement is expected to strike a balance between two competing demands: FAAN’s responsibility to maintain order and security at airports, and passengers’ desire for convenient and affordable transportation.
Bolt may be back, but FAAN says the wider conversation is not over.
The authority disclosed that it is also engaging other e-hailing operators and expressed optimism that those discussions would be concluded soon.
For passengers, FAAN stressed that the choice ultimately remains theirs.
Travelers are free to use any authorised transportation service that meets their needs, provided the operator complies with the rules governing airport operations.
FAAN said its role is to ensure that every approved transport operator functions within an environment that is safe, secure and orderly.
For now, however, one thing is clear: the Bolt ban has been lifted, and passengers at FAAN-managed airports once again have the option of booking their rides through the popular e-hailing platform.
