The ride-hailing platform Bolt has launched a dedicated ‘Pet’ category in London, giving pet owners across the capital peace of mind when ordering a ride.
The launch comes fresh off the back of International Cat Day on August 8th and International Dog Day on August 26th. Fittingly, September is celebrated as ‘Happy Cat Month’.
There’s an estimated 13 million pet dogs and 12 million pet cats in the UK, with 14 percent of Londoners owning cats and nine percent owning dogs. As a result, the company expects the category to be popular amongst the six million passengers already signed up to the ride-hailing app in the capital. Across 19 UK cities, the company has 100,000 registered drivers and 9 million passengers.
The city is also the perfect place to launch the category in the UK with London being ranked as the most pet-friendly city in Europe. The use cases of the category are easy to see with the City of London having the highest vets to pet owners ratio whilst, almost as crucially for some passengers, London has the fifth highest dog-friendly pubs to population ratio.
The Estonian firm is also hosting a giveaway on its Instagram page, @bolt_uk, where it’s sharing a £5 discount code for the first 300 customers that take a ride in the new category during launch week. Photos of budding animal co-pilots are strongly encouraged.
If there’s only one passenger, they may bring two small pets. These include small to medium-sized dogs, cats, and other commonly recognised household pets. The fare for the category includes a small additional charge for passengers. Those with an assistance dog do not need to request the ‘Pet’ category.
The category brings a level of transparency and peace of mind for pet owners and drivers not possible on the Bolt app before. Passengers can inform drivers about their pet’s breed and size via the in-app call and messaging functions, and are recommended to have a blanket on their person.
Flexibility and value for drivers is also crucial for the Tallinn-headquartered platform. Though it represents a sizable opportunity to increase their earnings, the category is not mandatory for drivers. Furthermore, drivers which remain in the category will be able to see if a passenger is requesting a ‘Pet’ category ride and will be free to accept, decline, or ignore the request as they wish.
Deborah Meijer, Head of Operations for Bolt in London said: “Our mission is to make cities for people, not private cars. Since pets are often rightly touted as people’s best friend, it was only right we took the step of launching a dedicated category. I’m looking forward to bringing convenience and comfort to pet owners across London.”
