Flexibility means something different to everyone. For some, it's school runs and Friday nights. For others, it's avoiding roadworks, chasing quieter roads, or simply finishing when the target's done. We spoke to 3 driver partners using Bolt Flex to find out what it really means to them.

Mahmoud: "It works around my hours"

Mahmoud Tafiq has found his rhythm on the Bolt platform, and business is growing.

"I'm getting a lot more trips, and it's getting busier by the day," he says. "I try to drive during the busy hours: the morning and the afternoon school runs, and then Friday and Saturday evenings."

For Mahmoud, Bolt Flex has been the difference-maker. "Bolt Flex is fantastic for me. It works around my hours, and it's made a big difference."

Beyond the platform, it's the people who keep him going. "You meet the most lovely people. It's made me more confident; I'm more of a people person anyway, but this has taken it to another level. I've had passengers who've just graduated, just got a job. Once, I picked up a lady whose partner had just proposed to her, and she jumped into my car before I could say anything. I've never seen someone so happy."

Ali: "It feels like a superpower"

Ali has been driving in Birmingham for a while now, and he's noticed something about the Bolt platform.

"I can easily tell that Bolt is a very sophisticated platform; it feels like every other week there's a new update in the app, with improvements for both passengers and driver

partners."

Bolt Flex, in particular, has changed how he approaches the city. For example, if there are roadworks on a route, drivers can choose not to avoid the area, but reflect this in their fare. Ali says, “If a passenger wants to go through there, I can adjust my preferred price. If they want it, they want it. If they don't, they don't."

He also prefers driving late. "There's a lot less traffic, a lot less pressure. I've had ex-footballers in the back. I've had older gentlemen giving me life advice."

His take on flexibility? "To not be tied to a schedule or set hours. It feels like a superpower."

Pardeep: "As soon as I've hit my target, I go home"

Pardeep Datta starts every morning at around half six and wraps up by two or half two, a rhythm carried over from his previous career as an electronic engineer.

"My attitude is: as soon as I've done my target, I go home. If I've hit it in four hours, I go home. If it takes six, I go home. I always set my goal."

He's been using Bolt Flex and Flex Comfort for nearly three months. "I found it very easy. When I finish, I go home, have a cup of tea, relax for 45 minutes, then go for a walk, at least six or seven miles every day."

So what exactly is Bolt Flex?

Bolt Flex is a driver profile available alongside Bolt Standard in the Bolt Driver app. Here's what makes it different.

Your prices, your call. With Bolt Flex, you can set your own price for each ride, receive price offers directly from passengers, and make counter-offers. You can also set a minimum price per mile, and the app will automatically accept any matching ride offers, so there's no need for constant back-and-forth.

The same 18% commission. Bolt Flex runs on 18% commission rate, with a reduced introductory rate available at launch.

Direct to passengers. When driving with Bolt Flex, you register with Bolt Operations

UK Limited and provide services directly to passengers, with Bolt Flex Terms applying.

More from Bolt Link. If you already use Bolt Link, Bolt Flex takes it further. You can delegate rides to linked drivers in real time and earn from your vehicle even when you're not behind the wheel.

Switch anytime. Both profiles live in the same app. Switch between Bolt Standard and Bolt Flex whenever you like. Go offline, open the main menu, and select the profile you want.

Bolt Standard stays. Prefer to keep things as they are? Bolt Standard includes Bolt Boost (National Living Wage equivalent top-ups and Holiday Pay Supplement) and access to the optional pension scheme. You can hold both profiles and choose whichever suits your day.

Bolt Flex is currently available across Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester, Bristol, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Newcastle, and many more cities across the UK.

Interested in adding a Bolt Flex profile? Open the Bolt Driver app, go offline, tap your name in the main menu, and select 'Take control of your earnings' to get started.

Bolt Flex: In Their Own Words

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Bolt Flex: In Their Own Words