Published: 03/06/25 | 9:06
Bolt’s initial commission of 13% was already a significant cut from drivers’ hard-earned income, but instead of keeping things fair, they gradually increased it first to 20%, then to 23% and eventually to an outrageous 25%. This increase came at a time when fare rates were pathetically low making it almost impossible for drivers to earn a sustainable living. At 25%, Bolt was effectively institutionalizing modern-day slavery under the guise of ride-hailing. Drivers were pushed to the brink as they were and are working brutally long hours only to walk away with the bare minimum which is not even enough to cover basic necessities.
What’s even more enraging is that these exploitative practices were implemented without any form of consultation or consideration for the drivers that are the very backbone of the company. While Bolt flourished, drivers struggled to put food on the table, to maintain their vehicles and to simply survive.
Now, in a grotesque display of corporate greed, Bolt has introduced a so-called “dynamic service fee” model that can soar as high as 35% and with taxes included the actual deduction from a driver’s earnings climbs to an absurd 49%. That’s nearly half of their entire income which is gone. What remains is a measly 51% which then gets swallowed up by fuel, car maintenance, insurance and other operating costs which leave drivers with crumbs for their labor.
The company tries to justify this daylight robbery by claiming that longer journeys may have a slightly lower service fee and shorter ones may carry a higher fee. But this manipulation of words does nothing to hide the predatory nature of their system. They have the audacity to say that drivers are “free to accept or decline” ride requests which is a laughable excuse indeed considering drivers have no real choice. Declining rides only means more wasted time and fewer earnings and in an oversaturated market flooded with desperate workers, every ride counts no matter how little it pays.
Bolt is shamelessly exploiting the economic vulnerability of thousands. With job opportunities dwindling in other sectors, desperate individuals turn to driving only to find themselves entrapped in a system that thrives on their suffering. The company knows that even if many drivers leave or protest there will always be more poor and desperate people to replace them. And so, they continue this cycle of exploitation with impunity.
Some drivers have started resisting by hiding or removing their Bolt stickers which are small acts of defiance in the face of overwhelming oppression. But Bolt couldn’t care less. They treat drivers as disposable assets by replacing them as quickly as they burn them out. It is a despicable business model built entirely on the exploitation of the working class, a cold and calculated system that strips away dignity and basic human rights for profit.
