In a recent turn of events, Bolt, the popular e-hailing service, has imposed restrictions on cross-country ride requests between South Africa and Nigeria. This move follows an emerging trend where users in both countries engaged in an elaborate prank, leading to a significant disruption in the platform’s operations.
The prank involved users from South Africa and Nigeria requesting rides across borders, only to cancel them once drivers arrived at the specified destination. This not only caused financial losses for the drivers but also created unnecessary chaos within the e-hailing community.
The situation took a dramatic twist as tensions between the two nations escalated, rooted in a series of events that began with the former Miss South Africa 2024 finalist, Chidimma Onwe Adetshina. After her withdrawal from the competition, tensions flared up online, leading to a surge in cross-border pranks on the Bolt platform.
The ongoing online tussle was further fueled by South Africa’s revocation of its invitation to the Puebla International Literature Festival 2024 and Adetshina’s subsequent acceptance of an invitation to participate in the Miss Universe Nigeria beauty pageant. The resulting online mud-slinging soon escalated into a cross-country prank war, culminating in the recent wave of fictitious ride requests on Bolt.
In response to the situation, Bolt took swift action by blocking those involved in the prank and restricting inter-country ride requests to prevent further misuse of the platform. In a statement to Briefly News, Bolt emphasized its commitment to maintaining the safety and integrity of its platform.
“We immediately implemented measures to resolve the matter by restricting inter-country ride requests. Those responsible have been blocked from the Bolt application. We prioritize the safety and integrity of our platform and are committed to supporting our driver-partners,” Bolt said.
The company’s decisive action aims to protect its drivers and prevent further escalation of the prank war between users in South Africa and Nigeria.
Description: Bolt has restricted cross-country ride requests between South Africa and Nigeria following an online prank war involving fictitious ride requests. The prank, rooted in tensions over a former Miss SA finalist, has led to Bolt blocking those responsible and taking measures to ensure platform safety.