Uber rival launches in Manchester today 

Bolt has kicked off its taxi offering in the city ahead of the long Easter weekend, almost a year after Place North West reported the firm was making its first foray into the region. 

The company will operate across Manchester and Salford from today.  

Bolt has opened a Driver Hub on Union Street, where drivers can sign up, in addition to its North West office at Digital World Centre in Salford.

The company’s service “offers favourable commission rates, meaning greater earning potential for drivers compared to other ride-hailing services”, according to Bolt.  

Josh Ryan, country manager, UK rides at Bolt said: “Launching in Manchester and Salford is a huge landmark for Bolt as we look to roll out more affordable services amid a wider mobility offering. 

“The city is renowned for its fantastic culture and sport, great nightlife and atmosphere and we’re on a mission to help local residents, students and more make the most out of it by connecting them with the people and places they love.” 

Bolt was founded in 2013 and was known as Taxify until 2019; the company operates in much the same way as ride-hailing app Uber.  

Passengers book journeys directly through the app and are connected to available drivers without the need for an intermediary.  

Bolt operates taxis, scooter rides and food delivery services across most of Europe and is particularly established in the Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal and Ukraine.  

In the UK, Bolt taxis can be found in Birmingham, Leicester, London, Milton Keynes, Peterborough and Wolverhampton.  

As well as taxis, Bolt was one of the companies that bid to operate e-scooter trials in Rochdale and Salford.  

However, the firm was pipped by Lime Scooters in both instances last year.