How to Become a Bolt Driver in Kenya

Formerly known as Taxify, Bolt is among the fastest growing online taxi services provider in the country. It is a key competitor to Uber and operates the same way through an app that connects both drivers and customers. This article will explain how to become a Bolt driver in Kenya.

Bolt services are available across most of the major towns in Kenya such as Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu, Eldoret and Kakamega, Karatina, Nyeri, Nanyuki, Embu, Malindi, and Kilifi.

Below are the key requirements to become a bolt driver.

• Latest passport photo
• National Identity Card
• A valid certificate of good conduct 
• Driver’s regular driving license
• A valid PSV driving License
• Vehicle Logbook/Sales Agreement
• NTSA Inspection report for the car
• Valid PSV insurance

Once you have all the requirements, you should use the below steps to get registered.

Step 1: Visit bolts online portal and create an account. This happens through inputting your email address and phone number.

Step 2: Fill in the car details. You should fill in the car’s basic details such as registration number, year of manufacture, and the color of your car.

Step 3: Documents and fees. This process involves filling in your basic documents’ details such as your Identity card number and Driving license numbers

Step 4: Upload the documents. At this step, you should upload all the required documents depending on the type of uber service. To make the process easier, ensure to compress your documents for faster uploading.

Step 5: Submit your application. Upon successful uploading, submit the application for review by the bolt team. It takes an average of 1 hour for a review to happen. If successful, your account will be activated.

Step 6: Training. Once your details have been confirmed, you should take a mandatory training lesson at their offices in Azure towers, Lantana Road. The training takes an average of 30 minutes.

Step 7: Download the bolt app. At this step, you are ready to download the driver app and can start taking customer requests.

Types of services offered by Bolt

There are different ride services offered by bolt. Some of these include;

1. Bolt lite

Bolt lite is the most affordable service in the car category. It takes in cars with small engine capacity to sustain the lower price charges.

To qualify for the bolt lite, your car should have an engine capacity ranging from 650cc to 1500cc. It is the wide service for bolt and is available across all the major towns it operates. The cars offering this service should also have an age limit of not more than 11 years.

2. Bolt Base

This is a higher service to Bolt lite. It charges more than lite and takes in vehicles with higher engine capacity. Cars in this category should sit more than 4 passengers and have an engine capacity of at least 1500 cc In Nairobi and not less than 1200cc in other cities and towns.

There are also age limitations depending on the area of operation. For Nairobi, the car should be not more than 10 years old. Not more than 12 years for the next cities such as Mombasa and finally, not more than 14 years for those operating in smaller towns.

3. Bolt bodaboda

It is a service that registers bodaboda riders. Some of the key requirements to join include ensuring the riders carry one passenger and a bodaboda that is not more than 9 years old.

The service is also available across all the major towns and cities such as Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Nakuru

4. Bolt Tuktuk

Bolt offers tuktuk services in those towns and cities that have a high demand for them such as Mombasa. Some of the key requirements to join this service is the tuktuk should not be more than 9 years old and should also carry 2 people.

Key information on Bolt

Bolt charges drivers a commission of 20% for every ride taken. Hence, you need to factor in this when planning your finances.

Now that you know how to become a bolt driver in Kenya, it is important to understand the amount of income in this business depends on your hardwork and timing. On average, yon can make at least 2,000-3-000 shillings per day.