Bolt Temporarily Halted Amid Traffic Law Violations

Minister of the Interior Bassam Mawlawi has requested that the Ministry of Telecommunications ban access to the Bolt ridesharing app in Lebanon. This comes in the wake of protests by the country’s Confederation of Taxi Unions last Tuesday, May 2.

LEBANON: Minister of Interior @MawlawiBassam requested shutting down the @boltapp starting May 8 “until it is confirmed, it doesn’t violate traffic and other laws.”

— SMEX (@SMEX) May 9, 2023

Bolt, a company based out of Estonia, was founded in 2013 and operates in around 45 countries internationally. It expanded into Lebanon in 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the intersecting local crises. The app was initially known for being more affordable than Uber in the country. Also, unlike Uber, Bolt allowed private (white) licensed cars to drive on the app, something that has often triggered commercial (red) licensed taxis and services ire.

According to Mawlawi, this suspension will apply until the ministry can investigate whether or not the app is violating any local traffic laws. Mawlawi also issued a separate decision calling on the ISF to be vigilant and enforce violations against unlicensed or “fake” taxis.

This is not the first time Lebanon’s taxi drivers have voiced their complaints against Bolt, with multiple protests and campaigns launched against its use of non-registered drivers. However, this is the first time the Lebanese government has been responsive to these concerns, although it is still unclear if this decision will actually be implemented.

As of today, users can still access the app.

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