Smarter ride-hailing with data-driven decisions
Success Story
With operations in over 600 cities across 50 countries, Bolt is one of the world’s leading shared mobility platforms. From ride-hailing and micromobility to grocery delivery and car rental, Bolt’s services help millions of people move around every day. Behind every trip is a complex system of routing, dispatch and ETA calculations that determine how quickly and efficiently people get where they need to go.
To enhance this system, Bolt partnered with TomTom to address two key challenges: improving ETA accuracy and reducing routing costs. TomTom’s real-time traffic and routing services allowed Bolt to refine how drivers are dispatched, cut operating costs and deliver a smoother experience for riders.
By optimizing trip planning, Bolt was able to match drivers to riders more effectively, which reduced wait times and improved overall marketplace balance. The improvements also helped reduce driver frustration and fuel consumption, both of which were vital to long-term platform sustainability. As Bolt expanded into new regions, scalable and cost-effective routing support became a key enabler of growth.
TomTom’s world leading traffic data enables Bolt to improve ETA accuracy, reduce costs and boost efficiency across its global ride-hailing network.
Improving dispatch through real-time routing
As Bolt scaled into new markets, it needed a more cost-efficient fallback routing solution that could complement its internal systems. At the same time, a lack of live traffic and incident data was affecting ETA accuracy, leading to inefficient driver assignments and missed revenue opportunities.
With TomTom’s routing APIs and real-time traffic intelligence, Bolt was able to address both issues. The routing service enabled faster expansion with predictable costs, while traffic and incident data improved ETA accuracy across key markets, particularly in Europe.
“
Ilya Rybin
Product Manager at Bolt
Smarter testing, seamless integration and greater impact
Before adopting TomTom solutions, Bolt conducted live A/B testing to assess the impact on their operations. With support from a dedicated TomTom Technical Account Manager and direct access to engineering teams, integration was fast and efficient.
The testing improved ETAs leading to better driver allocation, higher rider satisfaction and more efficient use of resources.
By switching to TomTom’s routing services, Bolt reduced the cost per 1,000 trips by 17%. Traffic data also cut ETA errors by 15% in most launch markets, directly improving the company’s ability to assign the right driver to the right trip. These improvements translated into measurable gains for both users and the business, from reduced cancellations to better platform efficiency.
Scaling smarter mobility
Bolt continued to invest in ETA accuracy, viewing it as essential to the future of shared mobility. TomTom’s real-time data and routing solutions allowed Bolt to adapt to road conditions in real time and build a smarter dispatch system that benefited riders and drivers alike.
Unlike Google, TomTom offered a more cost-effective pricing structure while maintaining similar quality in most of the countries where Bolt operated. This made TomTom the clear choice to help Bolt expand into new markets while maintaining control of costs.
With these solutions in place, Bolt was able to deliver more reliable rides and strengthen its competitive advantage.
Looking ahead
Bolt remains committed to building a smarter, more reliable ride-hailing experience. As the company continued to grow, it relied on accurate, real-time data to make informed decisions that benefited drivers, riders and the overall platform. TomTom’s solutions provide Bolt with the flexibility and scalability needed to adapt to new challenges which paved the way for ongoing improvements in efficiency and customer satisfaction and will continue to do so in the future.
“
Ilya Rybin
Product Manager at Bolt