There is a shortage of drivers and an increase in customer demand, Bolt said in a statement it issued to 'set the record straight' on pricing and waiting times.

The company has said that it has had a presence in Malta since 2015 "providing earning opportunities to thousands of drivers and couriers, and to over 1,400 restaurant partners. Only last year we invested more than €25 million in the Maltese economy."

"Recently, there have been concerning allegations suggesting that Bolt intervened to increase waiting times and pricing mechanisms as some sort of retaliation. We refute these unfounded claims and want to provide the facts about how our marketplace operates," Bolt said.

Last week, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri issued a Facebook post where he said that it seems there are those who are ready to manipulate transport prices if they no longer have the chance to bring workers to the country as they pleased. This post came a few days after the government announced that JobsPlus would be refusing new work permit applications for taxi drivers and couriers, saying that the market is now saturated.  It had said that this will not affect those already working in this industry. Camilleri in his post, said that the decision did not lead to a scarcity in the number of drivers. "If, on the other hand, this means of transport depends on precarious work or even slavery, then it is time to make more decisive decisions about this sector," he had said.

Bolt, in its statement, said that like other platforms in the industry it "uses 'automated surge pricing' that matches customers' demand with drivers' supply, to make sure that the service works properly: namely that the drivers have incentives through higher earnings to service any particular high-demand location at specific hours, preventing long wait times for customers."

Bolt said that while higher prices due to higher customer demand during tourist peak season are common, over the past week, average ride prices were approximately 10% higher compared to the same period in 2023. "This was due to a 19% decrease in the number of available drivers on our platform, linked to the rejection of temporary work permits of hundreds of drivers, as reported in the media. This is further compounded by an endemic 7.9% turnover of personnel on average a month within the transport industry, according to statistics of the Central Bank of Malta. Conversely, demand for rides has increased by 23%, which is higher than what we have historically seen at this time of year. These dynamics have led to more frequent price spikes," the company said.

It said that the price spikes and impacted waiting times seen over the past days "therefore relate to increased customer demand and the shortage of drivers."

"Our goal is to provide a reliable and affordable electronic platform where transportation services are made available to passengers through the fleets and registered drivers while ensuring fairness for all those that are part of this marketplace. In 2024, Bolt ended collaboration with 28 fleets which did not meet Bolt's standard of engagement. Bolt will continue to terminate its agreements with any fleet or individual operators if they are found to be in breach of applicable law or are involved in any kind of malpractice in breach of their contract."

Bolt said that its team "regularly engages with fleet operators to champion fair and transparent work conditions and is committed to doing more to ensure that all fleet operators using the Bolt platform uphold the highest legal and ethical standards, addressing drivers' and couriers' concerns. We also understand Malta's challenges and the strategy outlined by the Maltese government in the National Employment Policy 2021-2030. That is why we will continue to actively cooperate with the Maltese government on immediate actions to keep offering services to out customers while continuing to provide earning opportunities to the people living in Malta."