The Bolt ride-hailing app in Croatia rolled out a weird new feature. They are charging users extra to request a taxi driver who speaks Croatian. People ordering a ride through the app can now select a Croatian speaker option, but it often costs more than a standard ride. This pricing has sparked major confusion and backlash online, especially on forums like Reddit.
Social media reactions ranged from disbelief to anger. Users pointed out the absurdity of paying a premium to speak the national language in its own country. Some noted that even the drivers saw no extra money from this surcharge. The price difference is inconsistent, sometimes adding several euros to a short trip while leaving longer routes, like a Zagreb city center to airport run, unchanged.
Bolt has not explained why they implemented this feature or if it exists elsewhere. The company has not responded to inquiries about the logic behind charging more for a Croatian-speaking driver in Croatia. The whole situation just seems like a bizarre cash grab that nobody asked for.
Social media reactions ranged from disbelief to anger. Users pointed out the absurdity of paying a premium to speak the national language in its own country. Some noted that even the drivers saw no extra money from this surcharge. The price difference is inconsistent, sometimes adding several euros to a short trip while leaving longer routes, like a Zagreb city center to airport run, unchanged.
Bolt has not explained why they implemented this feature or if it exists elsewhere. The company has not responded to inquiries about the logic behind charging more for a Croatian-speaking driver in Croatia. The whole situation just seems like a bizarre cash grab that nobody asked for.
