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The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has reached an agreement with Bolt on the operation of e-hailing services at its airports, clearing the company to resume services immediately after a period of disruption that inconvenienced passengers.
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FAAN said the dispute arose from its efforts to address longstanding safety, security and accountability concerns linked to commercial and e-hailing vehicles at airports, leading to the introduction of the Airport Car Hire Rank Management System (ACHRAMS).
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The airport authority clarified that ACHRAMS is not an e-hailing platform or a competitor to Bolt and Uber, while also stressing that airport taxi fares were not newly imposed by FAAN or created by the system.
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FAAN apologised to affected passengers, said it had listened to their concerns and made necessary adjustments, and disclosed that discussions with other e-hailing operators are ongoing to establish similar workable arrangements.
August 27, (THEWILL) — The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has resolved its operational differences with Bolt, clearing the e-hailing company to resume services at airports managed by the authority immediately.
The development follows what FAAN described as “constructive engagements” with Bolt to establish an agreeable and sustainable operational framework for e-hailing services within the airport environment.
The authority, in a statement issued on Thursday by its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, also apologised to passengers for the inconvenience and additional costs they experienced during the temporary disruption of e-hailing services.
FAAN said it appreciated the patience and understanding of the travelling public throughout the period.
“The Authority is therefore pleased to announce that, following constructive engagements, FAAN and Bolt have reached an agreeable operational framework and Bolt is cleared to commence its services at FAAN-managed airports immediately”, the statement said.
According to FAAN, its decision to strengthen the management of commercial transportation at airports was not targeted at any particular e-hailing company but was driven by regulatory, safety and security considerations.
Why FAAN Introduced ACHRAMS
The authority explained that it had been working for nearly a decade to address challenges arising from the activities of commercial and e-hailing vehicles operating within the airport environment. It listed increasing cases of passenger solicitation and touting, unregulated operations, random pick-ups and related safety, security and accountability concerns among the issues confronting airport transportation management.
FAAN further explained that some drivers operate across more than one platform, a situation which, according to the authority, had made it necessary to strengthen the management and visibility of commercial transportation within airport premises.
It was against this background that FAAN introduced the Airport Car Hire Rank Management System, known as ACHRAMS. The system is designed as a queue-management and airport transportation management mechanism intended to bring greater structure, visibility and accountability to authorised airport car-hire operations.
FAAN, however, stressed that ACHRAMS was never conceived as an e-hailing application.
“ACHRAMS is not an e-hailing application and was never conceived as a competitor to Uber, Bolt or any other mobility platform”, the authority said.
It explained that the system is limited to the management of airport car-hire ranks and authorised operations associated with them.
FAAN also rejected any suggestion that it was seeking to use the system to create or promote a monopoly in airport transportation. The authority said it supports healthy competition and remains committed to allowing passengers to choose from available transportation services.
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Airport Taxi Fares
The controversy also generated public concerns over the cost of transportation from airports, particularly comparisons between airport taxi fares and the lower fares offered by e-hailing platforms.
FAAN clarified that the airport taxi fares referenced in recent public discussions were not newly imposed by the authority and were not rates created by ACHRAMS.
According to the authority, airport taxi fares had existed independently of the ACHRAMS application, while the rates themselves were not substantially different from those previously applicable.
FAAN said the principal change introduced through ACHRAMS was greater visibility and transparency around prevailing airport taxi rates. This, it explained, made the cost of airport taxi services more readily apparent to passengers.
The authority acknowledged, however, that the visibility of the fares heightened public concern because passengers had become accustomed to comparatively lower prices offered through e-hailing platforms.
Talks With Other Operators
FAAN disclosed that it was also engaging other e-hailing operators as part of efforts to establish an orderly and sustainable framework for their operations at its airports.
The authority expressed confidence that the outstanding discussions would be concluded in the coming days.
FAAN reiterated that passengers remain free to choose from available transportation options that best meet their needs. It added that its responsibility was to ensure that whichever authorised service passengers choose operates within a safe, secure, orderly and accountable airport environment.
“The Authority thanks the travelling public for its patience and understanding and assures passengers that their safety, security, convenience and overall airport experience remain at the centre of FAAN’s decisions”, it assured.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
