FAAN Clears Bolt To Resume E-Hailing Services At Nigerian Airports

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced that Bolt has been cleared to immediately resume its e-hailing services at FAAN managed airports following the resolution of recent disagreements over the operation of ride-hailing services.

In a statement, FAAN said the decision followed constructive engagements between the Authority and Bolt, resulting in an agreeable operational framework for the platform’s activities at the airports.

The development comes after a period of disruption that caused inconvenience for passengers and triggered concerns over increased transportation costs and limited mobility options at airports.

FAAN explained that it had been working for nearly a decade to address challenges associated with commercial and e-hailing vehicles operating within the airport environment.

According to the Authority, the challenges included passenger solicitation and touting, unregulated operations, random pick-ups, and concerns relating to safety, security and accountability.

The Authority said the situation was further complicated by drivers operating across multiple platforms, making it necessary to strengthen the management and visibility of commercial transportation services at airports.

As part of its response, FAAN introduced the Airport Car Hire Rank Management System (ACHRAMS), a queue-management and airport transportation management system designed to provide greater structure, visibility and accountability for authorised airport car-hire services.

FAAN stressed that ACHRAMS is not an e-hailing application and was not designed to compete with platforms such as Uber or Bolt.

Rather, the Authority said the system is limited to managing airport car-hire ranks and the authorised operations associated with them.

“FAAN supports healthy competition and does not seek to create or promote a monopoly in airport transportation,” the Authority said.

FAAN also clarified concerns surrounding airport taxi fares, stating that the rates discussed publicly were not newly imposed by the Authority or created by ACHRAMS.

According to FAAN, airport taxi fares existed independently of the system and were not substantially different from rates previously applicable.

The Authority said ACHRAMS merely provided greater visibility and transparency around existing airport taxi rates.

However, FAAN acknowledged that the comparison between those fares and the lower prices passengers had become accustomed to through e-hailing platforms contributed to public concerns.

The Authority apologised for the inconvenience caused by the temporary interruption of e-hailing services, saying it recognised the impact on passengers.

“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.

FAAN added that it had listened to passengers’ concerns, reviewed the situation and made necessary adjustments.

With Bolt now cleared to operate, the Authority said the resolution demonstrated that airport security and regulatory requirements could be maintained while preserving the convenience and freedom of choice offered by e-hailing services.

FAAN said discussions with other e-hailing operators were ongoing and expressed confidence that outstanding issues would be resolved in the coming days.

The Authority reiterated that passengers remain free to choose from available transportation options that best meet their needs, while FAAN’s responsibility is to ensure that all authorised services operate in a safe, secure, orderly and accountable environment.