By Seun Ibiyemi
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has approved the immediate return of Bolt services to airports under its management following an agreement on the conditions for operating e-hailing services within airport premises.
The Authority said it reached an operational framework with Bolt, allowing the ride-hailing platform to resume services after a temporary disruption that limited passengers’ transportation options.
In a statement by its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, FAAN apologised to passengers for the inconvenience caused by the suspension, particularly amid concerns over increased transportation costs.
The disruption had triggered complaints over fares charged by conventional airport car-hire operators as passengers sought alternatives to e-hailing services.
FAAN said the regulatory measures that resulted in the temporary disruption were introduced to address longstanding challenges in the management of commercial transportation at airports.
According to the Authority, the challenges included passenger solicitation and touting, unregulated operations, random pick-ups, as well as safety, security and accountability concerns.
It added that drivers operating across multiple e-hailing platforms had also created difficulties in monitoring commercial transportation activities within airport environments.
To address the challenges, FAAN introduced the Airport Car Hire Rank Management System (ACHRAMS), a queue and transportation management system designed to improve the organisation and monitoring of authorised airport car-hire services.
The Authority, however, clarified that ACHRAMS was not created to compete with e-hailing platforms.
“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 designed specifically to regulate airport car-hire ranks and enhance visibility and accountability among authorised operators.
FAAN also rejected suggestions that ACHRAMS was intended to create a monopoly in airport transportation, insisting that the system was compatible with competition among service providers.
On concerns over airport taxi fares, the Authority said the rates being discussed publicly were not newly imposed by FAAN or introduced through ACHRAMS.
“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,” it stated.
FAAN said the fares existed before the introduction of the system and were not substantially different from rates previously applicable.
It explained that ACHRAMS merely provided greater visibility of existing airport taxi fares, making the difference more noticeable when compared with the lower prices passengers had become accustomed to through e-hailing platforms.
The Authority acknowledged the concerns over transportation costs during the disruption and apologised to affected passengers.
FAAN maintained that its regulatory measures were driven by safety, security and operational considerations rather than economic interests.
The Authority said the agreement with Bolt demonstrated that airport authorities could enforce safety and security standards while preserving passengers’ freedom to choose their preferred transportation options.
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However, it 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 remained free to choose transportation services that suited their needs, provided the operators were authorised to operate within the airport environment.
The Authority said its priority remained ensuring that approved transportation providers operate in a safe, secure, orderly and accountable manner, while keeping passenger safety, convenience and overall airport experience at the centre of its decisions.
