Ride-hailing platform Bolt has faced backlash after a surge of fake ride orders from South Africa and Nigeria disrupted services in both countries.

The company’s international order feature, designed to facilitate seamless rides across borders, was exploited by users in both nations, leading to widespread inconvenience for drivers. Bolt’s Country Manager for Nigeria, Yahaya Mohammed, acknowledged the issue and apologized for the disruptions.

Mohammed explained that the company is currently investigating the incident to assess the extent of losses incurred by drivers and determine potential compensation measures. He emphasized that Bolt is committed to preventing similar occurrences in the future and is taking steps to restrict inter-country ride requests between South Africa and Nigeria.

The fake ride orders, which stemmed from a social media feud between Nigerians and South Africans, caused significant disruptions to the ride-hailing services in both countries. Bolt has identified and blocked individuals responsible for the malicious activity, while also implementing measures to prevent future abuse of the international order feature.

As Bolt continues to address the fallout from this incident, it remains to be seen how the company will balance the need to maintain a seamless cross-border service with the prevention of such disruptive activities.