On 11 June 2019, we switched on the Bolt app in London and welcomed one of Europe’s busiest cities to our platform.

From humble beginnings to one of the UK’s most popular mobility apps, this post covers some important highlights over the years. We’ll also pay a special thanks to the driver partners who’ve been on this journey.

Making cities better

It may seem hard to remember, but ride-hailing options were limited when we launched in 2019. But with Bolt entering the market, the public now had a new option for requesting trips in seconds and moving around conveniently.

London, of course, boasts one of the best public transport networks in the world. But there are still situations where you may need a more tailored transport option. We launched with the intention of bridging this last-mile transport gap and being on hand when you need to go somewhere immediately.

In addition to providing fast, convenient transport (and the occasional discount from Naomi), Bolt’s UK presence is well-prepared for ever-changing travel preferences.

For example, Oliver Wyman’s reportsuggests that younger Europeans (40% of those aged 18–34) are more likely to abandon personal cars.* Polling from a related survey found that an estimated 70% of UK Bolt customers don’t own a car.** This further reinforces the idea that cities should be designed to serve people, not cars.

There’s no place quite like the UK

Since operating in the UK, we’ve hit some interesting milestones! Here are some fun facts:

Empowering driver communities

We’ve always said that Bolt drivers are at the heart of our offering. And over the years, thousands of drivers have signed up to drive with Bolt to earn on their terms.

During this time, we’ve held dozens of driver forums to gather feedback and implement new features on the Bolt and Bolt Driver apps to make driving and earning more seamless.

Some of those new features and initiatives have included:

Changing notification sounds before receiving trips;
Same-day driver payouts;
Driver and passenger unmatching.

And in addition to driving when you want, we’ve also introduced the option for Bolt drivers in the UK to save for retirement with Bolt’s Driver Pension Programme.

Celebrating 5 years with London drivers

Driving with Bolt for half a decade is cause for celebration!

So, the Bolt London team held a lunch in Battersea for a group of Bolt drivers who’ve been using the platform since its launch.

Similar to past events, Bolt drivers could:

Hear about the latest Bolt news;
Get information on extra earning opportunities like Bolt Link;
Participate in a Q&A session.

And as an extra thank you, drivers walked away with some special gifts from Bolt.

If you’ve recently received your private hire licence or haven’t yet signed up to drive with Bolt, we welcome drivers with private hire licencesto sign upand join the thousands of drivers already earning a steady income.

To see if Bolt’s in your city, visit our cities page.

Bolt in the rearview

It’s been great to reflect on the last 5 years and what’s been achieved to help passengers travel conveniently and drivers earn along the way.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, we quickly launched in an additional 19 cities, adding more drivers to the Bolt network.

Now available in more than 45 countries and 500+ cities, Bolt’s become a major player on the mobility stage. So before travelling abroad, check out our cities page to see which Bolt transport options are available.

And lastly, what’s a celebration without presents?

Here’s a promo code for £5 off your next Bolt trip: HAPPYBOLTDAYUK. Thanks for being with us on this ride!

NB Offer valid for the first 500 uses in any UK city where Bolt operates. Promo codes valid until 16/06/24 or when all codes are used up — whichever happens first. Promo codes are activated on a first-use basis — entering a code and saving it for later doesn’t guarantee redemption. Bolt’s Passenger Terms Of Use apply.

Based on an independent study by Oliver Wyman commissioned by Bolt [Shared Mobility’s Global Impact*, November 2023]

**Poll of 360 Bolt riders in the UK in April 2024

Bolt celebrates 5 Years in the UK!

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