The Edo State Council of the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON) has called out the taxi-hailing company, Bolt, for deactivating the accounts of hundreds of drivers on wrongful accusations and without an opportunity to defend themselves.

This was contained in a statement by the state Chairman of the union, Comrade Russell Eghaghe.

According to the chairman, the deactivations were carried out in bad faith as they were done based solely on riders’ reports without proper investigation or prior communication or warnings to the affected drivers. He noted that while the need for safety and professionalism is understood, it, however, does not justify the indiscriminate deactivations.

“I have noticed several cases where drivers were deactivated or suspended from the platform following complaints, often without being given an opportunity to share their side of the story. While I fully support Bolt’s commitment to safety, professionalism, and quality service, I believe that fairness and transparency should be the foundation of any disciplinary action,” the chairman said.

The chairman further noted that blocking drivers without hearing from them first not only jeopardises their reputation but also threatens their primary source of livelihood. He pointed out that many of these drivers depend on Bolt as their main source of income, and being suspended without due process can cause significant hardship and emotional distress.

One of the affected drivers, who spoke with Technext, said he was blocked after he was reported by a passenger for refusing an offline offer.

According to him, the trip was going well enough until before he arrived at the passenger’s destination, when he was asked to take a detour with a promise of an off-app payment.

“I refused and asked him to do the right thing and include the stop in the app as part of the trip so that it will be charged there. Rather than oblige, he got angry and started asking me if I was the only driver in Benin. That other drivers he had used did not object, so why was I acting differently? When I still insisted that he add the detour into the app, he angrily asked me to take him to his original destination and end the trip. Before I knew it, he started taking pictures of my vehicle and number plate while threatening to deal with me. I reported him to Bolt, and after apologising to me, they still blocked me when the passenger made his own report,” the driver said.

The Edo State Chairman, Comrade Eghaghe, said actions like this one, apart from being unfair and biased against the drivers, can set a dangerous precedent.

He worries that it will empower passengers to be unruly and unkind to drivers, knowing that whatever report they give to the company will be acted upon to the detriment of drivers, regardless of whether the driver was right.

According to the driver who spoke with Technext, even after the incident and Bolt’s deactivation, the rider kept calling to threaten more consequences.

“He was still calling and threatening me. I don’t just understand the whole thing. Does that mean if a passenger is talking, I cannot even defend myself? Does that mean I don’t have any right to be heard? I wasn’t rude to this person; I only demanded that he do the right thing. I am just confused. I wonder why Bolt would just block me for nothing, even after I reported this case and let them know everything. I just want to know what I did wrong in their eyes,” he said.

See also: Bolt Nigeria blocked 5,000 drivers in 2023, insists on driver score feature despite AUATON’s demand

Bolt’s account deactivation practice and a possible way forward

Driver account deactivation is one of the tools with which app companies punish erring drivers on their platforms. Over the years, Bolt has become renowned for its swiftness in wielding that hammer.

The company announced that it blocked 5,000 drivers in 2023 alone. Interestingly, the company’s Regional Manager for North and West Africa, Lola Masha, said the mass blocking was not due to any specific infractions by the drivers but rather a general cleanup of its driver database based on driver score.

Driver score is like a score sheet for drivers based mainly on passenger appraisals.

The company’s use of its deactivation button became more pronounced following the proliferation of offline trips as the company wielded it against errant drivers, especially in the southern states of Rivers and Cross River.

Many drivers kicked against the deactivations, noting that they were mostly arbitrary and not based on substantiated wrongdoing by drivers.

The issue of arbitrary deactivations became so problematic that drivers in Lagos state petitioned the state house of assembly over its weaponisation. This prompted the lawmakers to order the app companies to provide clear explanations whenever a driver is blocked or deactivated from the platform, rather than leaving them in limbo without a clear understanding of their infractions.

The house also demanded that the companies be accountable to the drivers, to avoid being seen as subjecting them to exploitation.

On his part, the Edo State Chairman of AUATON, Comrade Russel Eghaghe, stressed that since not all reports made by passengers are accurate, it behoves the company to act as impartial arbiters and carry out proper investigations before taking punitive actions.

“It is important to acknowledge that not all rider reports are accurate or unbiased. Misunderstandings, miscommunication, or even false claims can occur. For this reason, Bolt should establish a proper review system where both rider and driver accounts are considered before taking any punitive measures,” he said.

The chairman recommended that Bolt implement a clear, transparent investigation process before blocking any driver. He asked that the company communicate directly with the drivers involved, allowing them to respond to any allegations.

He also advocated for the creation of an appeal system where unjust suspensions can be fairly reviewed.

Finally, he recommended that the company train its support teams to handle such matters with empathy, professionalism, and objectivity.

“By taking these steps, Bolt can strengthen the trust between the company, its drivers, and riders, fostering a community built on fairness, accountability, and mutual respect. I believe that addressing this issue will greatly improve Bolt’s service quality and reputation among both riders and drivers,” he said.

See also: Lagos Assembly knocks Uber, Bolt, others over driver commission, deactivation