To not pay the taxi driver extra for the airport pickup fee

[Happyworm3]

Yesterday at around 3am I ordered a Bolt taxi to pick me and my two children up from the airport.

As soon as the driver arrived, before we'd even set off, he told me he'd been offered another job through a different taxi app but had declined it "out of the goodness of his heart" because he could see that me and my children were tired. I thought it was a strange thing to say, but we were exhausted so I didn't think much of it.

A few minutes into the journey he then said, "By the way, you don't have to, but Bolt doesn't pay us the airport drop off fee, so if you can pay it separately in cash or as a tip, I'd appreciate it."

I initially said "okay", but it didn't sit right with me. While we were driving I checked the fare breakdown on the app and could see there was already a £10 toll charge, which is the airport drop off fee.

When we arrived, he reminded me about the toll charge again. I told him I wouldn't be paying the airport fee separately because I'd already paid it as part of the fare. He seemed annoyed and said, "Yeah, but Bolt don't pay it to us. If you don't want to pay it that's fine, I will just have to pay it out of my own pocket"

I replied that it sounded bizarre and that if Bolt really weren't reimbursing him, he needed to take that up with Bolt because I wasn't going to pay the same charge twice.

He then snorted, muttered something under his breath and drove off.

Is this normal? Has anyone else had a driver ask them to pay the airport drop off fee separately when it's already included in the fare? Do Bolt drivers really not get the fare reimbursed?

You should report what he said to bolt.

Yes, he should lose £10 because you don't feel like paying it. How unreasonable of him to not want to lose money. Perhaps he should have waived the entire fare?

yeah sounds dodgy OP if it was already itemised

Why should OP pay twice to avoid that? Surely the issue is Bolt, not OP or the driver.

My fare includes the airport fee already as set out in the fare breakdown...

But she had paid it. It was clearly in the fee breakdown from Bolt.
Do you normally pay things twice ? I dont

I would definitely raise it with Bolt. He sounds like a complete chancer and you owe him nothing you'd already paid the fee.

He was trying it on, precisely because you were a woman with two tired children. Well done.

You're an utter mug if you think this 😂

Think he was scamming you! Well done for sticking to your guns

That sounds really dodgy. Uber always includes airport drop-off fees.

I find it hard to believe that Bolt would not do the same.

I would report this guy. Also surely it says how the fees are handled in your app?

I had this with an uber driver. He immediately asked me how much were charging me and then said he only gets paid half of that, and then a few minutes later said he had to pay the toll fee himself. I said oh that’s interesting and dropped it. Bottom line is that they don’t have to accept airport jobs.

I wouldn't have paid him either.

It is definitely included in the fare and Bolt will not deduct anything. Well done OP.

Think about it, if a driver did not get reimbursed the £10 for most journeys it would make taking the fare economically unviable.

Thanks everyone! I was starting to feel a bit guilty on the off chance that they genuinely aren't reimbursed for the airport fee.

That said, he did make me feel quite uncomfortable. I was actually quite nervous about telling him I wasn't going to pay it at the end of the journey. It was the middle of the night, I was alone with my two very young children, and I just wanted to get inside safely.

I think I will report it to Bolt. I can easily imagine another woman paying it simply to avoid the confrontation. My mum for example would definitely would have paid it to avoid saying no to a man in the middle of the night.

I would notify Bolt. He is a scammer.

Exactly this!

He was relying on the fact that you were a woman with kids, you were all exhausted and would likely pay anything to get home quickly and safely.

I would defo report him to bolt