The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has allegedly refused to renew the operation license for Bolt.

The regulator has cited allegations of transportation network violations.

According to a letter by Bolt's Country Manager Linda Ndung'u, NTSA Deputy Director Cosmas Ngeso stated that the license will only be renewed if the breaches are addressed.

Bolt had written to NTSA, requesting a new license because their current one is about to expire after only 17 days, having been issued on October 28, 2022.

The Transportation Network Companies (TNC) Owners, Drivers, and Passengers Regulations, 2022 are allegedly broken by Bolt.

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Additionally, according to the NTSA, Bolt has been taking additional costs from customers in addition to the commission, which is against the rules for all taxi-hailing apps.

"Please note that the Authority is not able to proceed with renewal of your operator license until when the issues raised by drivers and their representatives are satisfactorily addressed and rectified," said Mr. Ngeso.

"In light of these, we urgently request you to provide us with a concrete plan of action outlining steps your company intends to take to rectify this situation."

In response to the allegations, Ms. Ndung'u stated that Bolt charges their passengers a "booking fee," which aids in providing efficiency support.

"Bolt charges a fixed percentage booking fee that is paid by the passenger. The booking fee assists with covering support and enhanced technological features that ensures an even more efficient service on our platform," he said.

Bolt currently offers services in 16 towns after opening for business in Kenya in 2016.