Bolt, the European company with an app that offers mobility services throughout Europe and Africa, announced the start of operations in the country with the launch of its services in San Salvador today.

Ireoluwa Obatoki, the company’s regional director, said Bolt starts in the capital with 300 drivers ready to start work and accept rides, but hopes to expand to other cities soon.

“Bolt is a free mobile app that connects drivers and passengers; it allows passengers to conveniently request a driver to pick them up wherever they are and take them wherever they want quickly, reliably, and affordably,” he said.

The executive assured me that the company takes lower commissions per trip, so drivers can earn money by accepting trips through that application. At the same time, he highlighted that it offers lower prices to passengers.

“Our goal is not only to offer our elements at higher revenue per trip but also to ensure high demand through competitive prices. Consequently, our commission is significantly lower than that of our competitors. As a result, our drivers earn more and the rates are attractive,” he said.

“For a minimum of six months, Bolt in El Salvador agrees not to charge drivers commission for using the platform,” he added.

He also explained that to become a member of the firm, you must have a car and all the necessary licenses required by local regulations.

Bolt can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. When passengers are ready to travel, they just have to open the app, set their location, and select their intended destination. The platform then offers an initial estimate of the trip fare, and once accepted, nearby partners are alerted.

According to Obatoki, the company is committed to offering a safe experience, which is why it has implemented several security measures. Among them is an SOS button, which will allow users to press a button in case of danger; in addition, it will have a space enabled to share trip information in real time; on the other hand, it maintains a hidden telephone policy for communication between the applicant and the driver.

“From the beginning, we have bet on the profitability of our drivers and at the same time been fair to them because we firmly believe that happy drivers lead to happy passengers,” he concluded.