Public outcry pushes FAAN to lift Bolt airport ban after price surge

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has cleared Bolt to resume operations at airports under its management, days after restrictions on e-hailing services triggered angry complaints from passengers over higher fares and limited transport options.

The authority said on Thursday that it had reached an “agreeable operational framework” with Bolt following negotiations over how the ride-hailing company would operate within the airport environment.

FAAN also apologised to passengers for the disruption, acknowledging that the temporary interruption had increased travel costs and caused 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. We sincerely apologise for the difficulties this caused our passengers,” the authority said.

It added: “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. We have listened, reflected and made the necessary adjustments.”

The authority said Bolt can now resume immediately at FAAN-managed airports.

The development follows a confusing regulatory episode in which FAAN banned e-hailing services from Nigerian airports and set up its own taxi service that came with exorbitant rates, according to passengers who saw the arrangement as a clear push at a monopoly.

FAAN initially claimed that it had not imposed a blanket ban on Uber, Bolt and other e-hailing services, even as an internal directive had ordered Bolt and Uber to cease commercial operations at FAAN-managed airports pending the finalisation of licence agreements.

The restrictions left passengers with fewer options and prompted complaints about the cost of airport taxis. Passengers faced fare increases of more than 50% during the disruption.

What caused the dispute?

FAAN says the issue was not an attempt to push e-hailing companies out of airports but part of a broader effort to regulate commercial transport within airport premises.

The authority said it had been dealing for nearly a decade with problems including passenger solicitation and touting, random pick-ups, unregulated operations and difficulties identifying and holding drivers accountable.

FAAN claimed it introduced the Airport Car Hire Rank Management System (ACHRAMS) to deal with the issues.

But the system became a source of controversy after passengers found themselves relying more heavily on airport taxis during the disruption, where fares were substantially higher than the prices they had become accustomed to through ride-hailing apps.

FAAN said that ACHRAMS is not intended to compete with private e-hailing platforms.

“ACHRAMS is not an e-hailing application and was never designed to compete with Uber, Bolt or any other mobility platform,” the authority said.

It said the system’s purpose was to manage airport car-hire ranks and provide greater visibility over authorised operators, vehicles and drivers.

FAAN also rejected suggestions that it had introduced the airport taxi fares that attracted public criticism.

“The fares highlighted in recent public discussions were not rates newly imposed by FAAN or created by ACHRAMS,” it said.

According to the authority, the fares existed before ACHRAMS. The system merely made the prevailing rates more visible to passengers.

“FAAN recognises, however, that the comparison with the lower fares passengers had become accustomed to through e-hailing platforms understandably heightened public concern.”

What about Uber?

Bolt’s return does not yet amount to a full resolution for other e-hailing services.

FAAN said it remains in discussions with other operators and expects the outstanding engagements to be concluded “in the coming days.” It did not identify which operators are yet to reach an agreement.

“Our responsibility is to ensure that whichever authorised service they choose operates within a safe, secure, orderly and accountable airport environment,” FAAN said.