FAAN Clears Bolt To Resume Operations At Nigerian Airports

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has cleared Bolt to resume operations at all FAAN-managed airports after both parties reached an agreement on how the ride-hailing company will operate within the airport environment.

The development followed complaints from travellers over the temporary suspension of e-hailing services at the airports, with many passengers raising concerns about the higher cost and inconvenience caused by the disruption.

FAAN, while announcing the resolution, apologized to passengers affected by the situation and said it had taken their concerns into consideration.

Naija News reports that in a statement signed by its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, the authority also dismissed claims that it had introduced or taken control of airport taxi fares.

FAAN said it had been dealing with challenges associated with commercial and e-hailing vehicles operating at airports for almost 10 years.

According to the authority, some of the issues included passenger solicitation, touting, random pick-ups, unregulated operations and concerns over safety and accountability.

It said some drivers also operate on multiple platforms, making it necessary to have better control and visibility over commercial transportation within the airport environment.

To address the situation, FAAN introduced the Airport Car Hire Rank Management System (ACHRAMS) to organize the activities of authorized airport car-hire operators.

However, FAAN stressed that ACHRAMS was not designed to compete with popular e-hailing platforms such as Bolt and Uber.

“ACHRAMS is not an e-hailing application and was never conceived as a competitor to Uber, Bolt or any other mobility platform,” the authority said.

“It is also important to clarify that the fares highlighted in some of the recent public discussions were not rates newly imposed by FAAN or created by ACHRAMS.”

FAAN said airport taxi fares existed before the introduction of ACHRAMS, adding that the system only made the existing rates more visible to passengers.

The authority, however, admitted that the difference between the airport taxi fares and the cheaper rates passengers were used to paying on e-hailing platforms contributed to the public backlash.

“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,” the statement said.

“We sincerely apologize for the difficulties this caused our passengers.”

The authority maintained that its decision was driven by safety, security and regulatory concerns rather than an attempt to make money from airport transportation.

“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,” it added.

Following discussions between both sides, FAAN said an agreement had now been reached with Bolt on the company’s operations at airports.

“The authority is therefore pleased to announce that, following constructive engagements, FAAN and Bolt have reached an agreeable operational framework and Bolt is cleared to commence its services at FAAN-managed airports immediately,” FAAN said.

According to the authority, the agreement would allow it to maintain security and order within airports while giving passengers the convenience and freedom to choose e-hailing services.

FAAN also disclosed that it was in talks with other e-hailing operators and expressed confidence that the remaining discussions would be concluded soon.

The authority assured passengers that they remained free to choose any authorized transportation service that suited their needs.

It said its responsibility was to ensure that all approved operators worked within a safe, secure, and orderly airport environment.

FAAN thanked travellers for their patience and understanding, stressing that passenger safety, security, convenience and overall experience remained central to its decisions.