FAAN clears Bolt to resume airport operations, puts others on hold

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has cleared Bolt to resume operations at airports under its management following the resolution of outstanding issues surrounding the operation of e-hailing services within the airport environment.

FAAN stated this in a statement issued on Thursday by its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire.

The statement said the Authority and Bolt had reached an agreeable operational framework, paving the way for the immediate resumption of the company’s services at FAAN-managed airports.

The development follows a temporary interruption of e-hailing operations at the airports, which had generated concerns among passengers over transportation options and the cost of moving to and from airports.

There have also been outcries over the fares charged by the traditional airport car hire following the temporary disruption of operations of the e-hailing platforms.

FAAN, however, apologised to passengers for the inconvenience caused by the disruption, saying it had listened to public concerns and made necessary adjustments.

The Authority explained that the recent regulatory measures were part of efforts to address longstanding challenges associated with commercial and e-hailing vehicles operating within the airport environment.

According to FAAN, the challenges have persisted for nearly a decade and include passenger solicitation and touting, unregulated operations, random pick-ups, as well as safety, security and accountability concerns.

It said the situation had become more complicated in some instances by drivers operating across multiple e-hailing platforms, making it necessary to strengthen the management and visibility of commercial transportation services within the airport.

To address the challenges, FAAN introduced the Airport Car Hire Rank Management System (ACHRAMS), a queue-management and airport transportation management system designed to provide greater structure, visibility and accountability for authorised airport car-hire services.

The Authority stressed that ACHRAMS was not an e-hailing application and was never designed to compete with platforms such as Bolt and Uber.

“ACHRAMS is not an e-hailing application and was never conceived as a competitor to Uber, Bolt or any other mobility platform,” FAAN said.

It explained that the system was specifically designed to manage airport car-hire ranks and authorised operations associated with them.

FAAN also rejected suggestions that it was attempting to create a monopoly in airport transportation, stressing that it supported healthy competition among service providers.

“It is also important to clarify that the fares highlighted in some of the recent public discussions were not rates newly imposed by FAAN or created by ACHRAMS,” the Authority said.

According to FAAN, airport taxi fares existed independently of ACHRAMS and the rates were not substantially different from those previously applicable.

The Authority explained that ACHRAMS merely provided greater visibility and transparency around prevailing airport-taxi fares, making the cost clearer to passengers.

However, it acknowledged that comparing those fares with the lower prices passengers had become accustomed to through e-hailing platforms had heightened concerns during the temporary suspension.

FAAN said it was “deeply” appreciative of the concerns raised by passengers over the increased transportation costs and inconvenience experienced during the disruption.

“We sincerely apologise for the difficulties this caused our passengers,” the Authority stated.

It maintained that its actions were driven by regulatory, safety and security considerations rather than economic interests.

With the agreement reached with Bolt, FAAN said it had demonstrated that airport authorities could protect the integrity and security of airport operations while preserving passengers’ convenience and freedom of choice.

The Authority, however, disclosed that discussions with other e-hailing operators were still ongoing.

“FAAN remains engaged with other e-hailing operators and is confident that the outstanding discussions will be concluded in the coming days,” it said.

FAAN reiterated that passengers were free to choose from available transportation options that best suited their needs, provided the services were authorised to operate within the airport environment.