Ridehail platform Bolt expands Southampton ride-hailing service into the New Forest
Ridehail platform Bolt has expanded its Southampton ride-hailing service into the New Forest.
The moves aims to make it easier to get to Southampton and around the surrounding area throughout the busy festive season, during which the Estonian company expects popularity of the service to increase by 30%.
Demand for the firm’s ride-hailing is said to already be high due to the dark and cold days of October and November. Bolt saw a huge 50% increase in popularity on Tuesday 31 October compared to the days prior.
The Tallinn-headquartered business is also anticipating the extension being popular since it can see that many existing customers have already opened the app in the new operating area (including the likes of Beaulieu, Lymington and Brockenhurst), or have finished their ride in it having started their journey in Southampton.
The launches also mean rides can start from more public transport hubs like train and bus stations, including Lymington Town, Brockenhurst and Ashurst New Forest train stations. Public transport hubs are typically the most popular pick-up and drop-off spots throughout the year. The aim for Bolt as a company is to increase the use of public transport and shared mobility, with ride-hailing often playing a crucial role for first- and last-mile travel.
Markian Iwaniw, Senior Operations Manager at Bolt, said: “The run-up to Christmas is a busy time for everyone, including passengers and drivers who use Bolt. Since shared mobility - including ride-hailing - has such a crucial role within the wider transport ecosystem during this time, and drivers registered on the Bolt platform naturally play a significant part in this, we thought it would be beneficial for both sides to expand the area in which they can access our valuable service.”
