The official partnership between M. R. Štefánik Airport and the Bolt service was supposed to make life easier for passengers, but it has turned into a test of patience—and wallets. Drivers have come up with a new scheme: they are canceling rides en masse to artificially create a shortage and raise fares several times over.
The arrivals hall at Bratislava Airport greets weary tourists with their tickets and suitcases. However, instead of a quick ride home or to a hotel, many find themselves standing for hours with their smartphones in hand. On July 1, 2024, Bolt became the airport’s official partner, receiving exclusive rights to a free parking lot near the terminal. However, this sparked a wave of outrage among passengers and well-known bloggers.
How the “artificial shortage” scheme works
The scheme turned out to be simple yet sophisticated. Bolt drivers are allowed to wait for rides right in front of the terminal for free (other drivers pay 5 euros for every 15 minutes). Taking advantage of this privilege, some drivers simply remain in the parking lot and deliberately decline or cancel accepted rides with standard fares.
Since the system detects that there are many passengers but “no” available cars, Bolt’s algorithm automatically activates a higher multiplier (dynamic pricing). When the fare increases by several euros or only more expensive Premium-category cars remain available, drivers eventually accept the ride.
An on-site experiment by the news outlet Aktuality.sk confirmed the passengers’ accounts:
A driver of an available car near the terminal claimed he had no orders, even though at the same time the app of a nearby passenger showed a lack of available budget cars and was constantly increasing the fare.
Well-known Slovak travel bloggers have also openly spoken out about the problem. In particular, Milan Bez Mapy said that three drivers in a row canceled his 13-euro ride to the city center. When asked why, a group of taxi drivers standing near their cars simply laughed and replied in English, “small price.” Blogger Janka Travelhacker bluntly called this behavior the “taxi mafia.”
Constant cancellations also harm honest drivers
These dishonest practices outrage not only passengers but also honest Bolt drivers. One of them explained that such “colleagues” simply block the parking lot, watch movies in their cars, and wait for the highest fare, depriving others of work.
However, the system does have control measures in place: if a driver cancels rides too often, their rating drops, and they temporarily lose the right to park for free near the terminal. Nevertheless, after completing a certain number of standard trips in the city, the drivers return to their old scheme.
The Airport’s Response and Harsh Sanctions from Bolt
Bratislava Airport management stated that it had not yet received any official written complaints from passengers, but due to the public outcry, it immediately contacted Bolt, demanding an investigation.
Bolt acknowledged the problem, assuring that such behavior by drivers is a gross violation of the platform’s rules:
Ban on Repeated Cancellations: Starting Tuesday, September 22, Bolt is implementing a new rule for the airport—drivers will no longer be able to systematically reject ride requests.
Access restriction: Drivers who cancel rides en masse to drive up prices will be denied access to airport rides, and in the event of repeated violations, they will be blocked from the app entirely.
A Call to Passengers: Bolt and the airport urge passengers to be sure to record vehicle registration numbers (EČV) and file complaints directly through the app so that violators can be promptly removed from service.
