The big British movers – ride-hailing trends of 2021 revealed

Bolt, the European super app, released its data from 2021 to show how Brits move around their cities. The company also shared some of the most unusual stories from its rides all around the globe.

One Bolt rider in the UK took 556 Bolt rides in 2021 – that’s an average of 1.5 rides every day. However, that didn’t beat the global record which comes from Baku, Azerbaijan where a rider took 1116 Bolt trips in 2021.

The longest Bolt ride in the UK was more than 135 miles long, and cost over £227, however this year’s longest trip globally happened in Kampala, Uganda, where the rider and driver shared a trip for a whopping 513 kilometres.

Across the world, the UK ranked tenth in terms of generosity, with the biggest tip given to a driver standing at £14, just behind Norway, France, Kenya and even Belarus to name a few.

The most popular day for ride-hailing in the UK this year was 3rd July.

The most popular ride-hailing destinations in the UK this year were all connected to travelling and shopping:

St Pancras
Heathrow Terminal 2
London Euston
Heathrow Terminal 5
Stratford Westfield
Birmingham new Street
East Croydon
Waterloo
Stratford

According to Bolt data, the UK’s a forgetful nation, as Bolt drivers have reported some interesting items they’ve found in the back of their cars, ranging from electricals to food and a lot of booze.

Funny lost items from the UK:
Bag of raw meat
Electric scooters
An Xbox
A TV
Nail clippers
Fresh flowers
Lots of alcohol

Sam Raciti, Regional Manager, Western Europe at Bolt says: “Our year in review shows that people are using ride hailing as a true alternative to car ownership, and it’s great to see our service making the country more accessible and aligning with public transport use.

“Bolt is on a mission to help cities be built for people, not cars. If people would give up their private cars and use on-demand services only when they need them, we could combat congestion and pollution in the UK’s cities. With ride-hailing, Bolt provides a better alternative to the private car. We’re really grateful that our clients are playing a great part in that process, and we’re looking forward to challenging mobility habits together.”

Stories from Bolt rides around the world

There are many moments that Bolt riders and drivers share every day. We are bringing you some of the most heart-warming stories from Bolt rides around the globe this year:

In Ukraine, a Bolt driver was racing through the city of Odessa to take a mother and her unconscious child to the hospital. The car was stopped by the police, who luckily understood the gravity of the situation and provided an alarm escort to the Bolt car. Together, they reached the hospital on time and the child is doing well.
In Croatia, a rider fell in love at first sight with her Bolt driver and the feeling was mutual. It took a few months for the couple to find each other, but finally, they got together. They were happy enough to share their story about meeting during a Bolt ride with the company’s customer support.
Two Bolt drivers from Bydgoszcz, Poland met each other by driving for the same fleet. When they decided to get married in September this year, a large part of the local Bolt driver community took part in their wedding ceremony.
In Lithuania, a loving dog owner got into the elevator. Unfortunately, the dog didn’t follow in time, the leash got stuck between elevator doors and the elevator started moving despite the owner’s best efforts to stop it. The owner rushed back down, fearing the worst, only to find the dog happily hopping around a Bolt Food courier who had been at the right place at the right time and had freed the dog from its leash.
In Bangkok, Thailand a rider was looking for a good way to get around town in an affordable way. She happened on a ride with a Bolt driver who talked so enthusiastically about the company from faraway Estonia that it made the rider curious. After doing some research on the internet, the rider applied for a job in Bolt and is now working in Bolt PR team in the company’s headquarters in Tallinn, Estonia.
In Abuja, Nigeria, a rider accidentally added an extra zero to the amount and sent the driver 100 times more money than the amount he was due. The honest driver called the rider and sent him back the money immediately.
In Ukraine, Madam Maria arrived home after a long flight from Madrid. She was quite tired, so her Bolt driver decided to cheer her up with some good Ukrainian music. Madam Maria was so happy to hear the tunes that she started singing and the rider-driver couple did some cool carpool karaoke together.