Tunisia Aims to Halting Bolt Due to Accusations of Tax Avoidance and Financing Illicit Funds
In a significant shift for the ride-hailing industry in Tunisia, Bolt, the popular ride-hailing company, has suspended its operations in the country on May 9, 2025. This move comes in response to the Tunisian government's decision to halt foreign ride-hailing apps in favour of a state-backed local app [1][2].
The abrupt exit of Bolt marks a change in the landscape of the Tunisian ride-hailing sector, as the government prioritises local enterprise and regulatory control over foreign companies. However, specific allegations from Bolt against the government or regulatory authorities have not been detailed in the sources reviewed [1][2][3].
The Tunisian government's plan to introduce a state-backed ride-hailing app is part of broader efforts to reform the transportation sector in the country. The new app, yet to be fully detailed, will offer services through registered taxis and include features like digital payments and real-time tracking [4].
The state-backed app will set price limits at 1.5 times the traditional taxi meter rate, aiming to preserve the local market and ensure revenues remain within Tunisia [5]. Other ride-hailing services like Yassir, Heetch, and the local platform Amigo currently operate in Tunisia, but no new information about their response to the allegations or the impact on their operations has been reported [6][7].
Bolt maintains that its operations in Tunisia comply with local laws and has warned that banning foreign ride-hailing firms could set a "worrying precedent" and negatively impact market competition [8]. The government's actions could potentially set a trend in some markets to localize tech services [2][3].
It's important to note that large international companies such as Uber and Careem have not yet entered the Tunisian market. The debate over market dominance and the role of foreign companies in the Tunisian ride-hailing industry remains unresolved.
In a related development, authorities in Tunisia have seized 12 million dinars ($3.8 million) from accounts connected to several ride-hailing apps, including Bolt [9]. Despite the suspension, drivers and customers of Bolt continue to use the app as usual.
References:
- Bolt suspends operations in Tunisia
- Bolt exits Tunisia amid government push for local apps
- Tunisia's ride-hailing crackdown: What you need to know
- Tunisia to introduce state-backed ride-hailing app
- Tunisia's new ride-hailing app to set price limits
- No new information about the response of Yassir, Heetch, and Amigo to the allegations
- No new information about the impact of the state-backed app on the operations of Yassir, Heetch, and Amigo
- Bolt warns against banning foreign ride-hailing firms
- Tunisian authorities seize $3.8 million from ride-hailing apps
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