Taxify has rebranded to Bolt in the wake of newly added service offerings across various markets globally.
The company unveiled its new face on Thursday in 30 countries where it has a presence.
Since unveiling the taxi-hailing function in Nairobi four years ago, Bolt has launched a motorcycle and tuk-tuk service.
Estonia-based cab-hailing firm Taxify has rebranded to Bolt in the wake of newly added service offerings across various markets globally that include its new brand of electronic scooters.
The company, which launched in Nairobi in 2016, unveiled its new face on Thursday in 30 countries where it has a presence.
The tech firm entered the local market after launching in Johannesburg and Cape Town. The technology set up in 2013 is currently available in various cities across Uganda, Ghana, Tanzania and Nigeria, rounding up Bolt’s only African markets.
“While we’ve made progress on our mission, we’ve also started to outgrow parts of our brand, including the name. Given our ambition to solve transportation problems on an increasingly broader scale, we want the brand to reflect the company’s future rather than the past,” said general manager for Bolt East Africa, Shivachi Muleji.
“Our new name ‘Bolt’ stands for fast, effortless movement — exactly what the experience of getting around in a city should be, be it by car, scooter or public transport. It also underscores our belief that the future of transportation will be electric.”
Tuk-tuk service
Since unveiling the taxi-hailing function in Nairobi four years ago, Bolt has launched a motorcycle and tuk-tuk service.
The company has also unveiled a budget service that rivals Uber’s Chap Chap as well as a high-capacity taxi segment that accommodates up to six passengers in Nairobi and Mombasa.
The rebrand comes amid concerns about its driver vetting criteria after several local customers raised a myriad of harassment complaints in the past.
The taxi-hailing app’s safety measures have also come under serious criticism after it emerged last year that taxis affiliated to Bolt and Little were using expired documents, including public service vehicle insurance and licences.
“We are committed to the safety or our riders and drivers and realise we continuously need to keep doing more. We urge riders to always reach out to us to lodge a complaint whenever their well-being is threatened,” said Muleji.
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