The greener transport options will be first available in the food category in Kenya then spread to other verticals and to more regions. The move is also aimed at lowering the operating costs for drivers and couriers on its platforms. According to Hillary Miller-Wise, Regional Director, Bolt Africa, “This is a great step towards realizing environmentally conscious ways for people to move around in the city, reduce our ecological footprint, decrease air pollution and increase access to clean transportation modes. We also trust that this is a stride forward to mitigate the impacts of constant fluctuating fuel costs and will stabilize the growth and sustainability of driver earnings and cost of doing business. We believe that the future of urban transport is a network of on-demand services which include electric vehicles, tuk tuk, bikes and other light vehicles.” These Electric, bicycles and tuk tuks will currently be used by Bolt Food couriers only as the company plans to expand and include them into the ride-hailing business as well.
Bolt started Food delivery business in March 2021 during the rise of the third wave of the Covid–19 pandemic and has since witnessed a great reception and tremendous growth within Nairobi giving users access to a huge variety of restaurants and menus at the tap of a button as well as boosting the customer base for various restaurants. “We will be making deliveries using the newly launched tuk tuks and bicycles within Nairobi as we expand into other towns across the country. Our customers will now have more eco-friendly and sustainable options to choose from while still enjoying the same great door-to door deliveries experience from Bolt Food. We are committed to transforming the food delivery sector in Kenya and we continue to invest in innovative products that enhance quality service delivery and great customer experiences at affordable costs,” said Edgar Kipngetich Kitur, Country Manager, Bolt Food. The new e-bikes and e-tuk tuks will also expand options for Bolt delivery business thereby creating more economic opportunities for couriers and providing Bolt’s customers with more options to choose from. The company offers the widest array of ride-hailing options at the most affordable prices in the market and continues to have steady growth in operations driven by the demand for its quality services. “Our core business is to provide reliable, safe and affordable transportation services to everyone and we are excited to make travel easier and smarter across the country. We are humbled to offer Kenyans more choices to move and conduct their businesses smartly in cities,” said Hillary. Bolt was also the first to launch electric bike-sharing service in Europe, becoming the first on-demand transportation platform to have electric bikes, scooters, and ride-hailing under a single brand in one app. The company also recently introduced Bolt Green ride category in Nairobi having electric and hybrid vehicles to ensure eco-friendly rides and increase access to clean transportation modes. Kenya becomes the first African market where Bolt has introduced electric bikes, electric tuk tuks and e-bicycles with plans to launch similar services in other African markets.
