The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has cleared Bolt to resume its e-hailing operations at airports under its management, following the resolution of disagreements over the framework for commercial transportation services.
This was disclosed on Thursday in a statement issued by FAAN’s Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire.
The development ends the temporary disruption that had affected passengers using the ride-hailing platform and comes after what FAAN described as “constructive engagements” between both parties.
FAAN said the agreement was reached after the authority reviewed concerns raised by passengers over the cost and inconvenience associated with the interruption of e-hailing services.
“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,” Agbebire said.
FAAN explained that its efforts to regulate commercial and e-hailing vehicles at airports were driven by concerns over passenger solicitation, touting, random pick-ups and other safety, security and accountability challenges.
According to the authority, the issues had persisted for nearly a decade, making it necessary to introduce measures that would improve the management and visibility of commercial transportation within the airport environment.
It said its Airport Car Hire Rank Management System (ACHRAMS) was introduced to provide structure, visibility and accountability for authorised airport car-hire services.
FAAN stressed that ACHRAMS was not designed to compete with e-hailing platforms such as Bolt and Uber, noting that it was strictly a system for managing airport car-hire ranks and authorised operations.
“ACHRAMS is not an e-hailing application and was never conceived as a competitor to Uber, Bolt or any other mobility platform,” the statement said.
The authority also dismissed concerns that it had introduced new airport taxi fares through ACHRAMS, explaining that the fares existed before the system was introduced.
“What ACHRAMS introduced was greater visibility and transparency around the prevailing airport-taxi rates, making the cost more readily apparent to passengers,” FAAN said.
The agency, however, acknowledged that passengers had become accustomed to lower fares offered by e-hailing platforms, making the temporary suspension particularly difficult for travellers.
FAAN said it had listened to the concerns of passengers and made the necessary adjustments, while insisting that its regulatory actions were based on safety, security and operational considerations rather than economic interests.
It further assured passengers that they remained free to choose from available transportation options, provided such services operated within the approved airport framework.
“The resolution demonstrates that it is possible to protect the integrity and security of the airport environment while preserving the convenience and freedom of choice that e-hailing services provide to passengers,” the authority said.
FAAN added that discussions with other e-hailing operators were ongoing and expressed confidence that outstanding issues would be resolved in the coming days.
The authority apologised to passengers for the inconvenience caused during the temporary interruption and assured them that their safety, security, convenience and overall airport experience remained central to its decisions.
