By Bond Robertson 
Updated October 2: Added response from Bolt.
Taking a taxi home from the city is often convenient as you are driven all the way home and do not have to walk extra minutes from the subway station or bus station, but at the same time it is also more expensive.
DinSide has previously discussed instances where taxi prices vary widely, and it’s easy to make the wrong choice when you want to get home quickly from the city.
– He had every reason to be afraid of me
Journalist Annekin Aronsen in Börsen and Dagbladet got a surprise when she checked her bank account online after a ride in a Bolt taxi on her way home on Sunday night, September 24.
The two-kilometre, five-minute ride costs NOK 595, of which NOK 60 is an advance booking fee.
– Everyone knows the fear of checking the bank online the next day. It turns out I had every reason to be afraid, she told DinSide.
Aronsen then called customer service to verify whether the price was indeed correct.
It was a short and expensive trip home from the city. Image: screenshot
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– They indicated that they increased demand at that time, making the trip 1.79 times more expensive, but this cannot be true. Then the normal price would have been more than NOK 300, while the flight cost was estimated at just over NOK 100 when I checked on Sunday, she says.
– On Tuesday afternoon, I can travel from Hassli to Klufta with Bolt for the same price – a distance of 31 km. Alternatively, I can rent a car for eight hours.
– He warns sternly
– You can travel to London at the same price
Aronson says it may seem as if Bolt is exploiting the fact that people have limited judgment on Sunday night.
– After my basic need for food was satisfied at night, there was only the pillow that stood on my head – Anyway, I don’t remember being bitten by the price of blood. I could have taken both Flytoget and a flight to London for that price, says Dagbladet journalist.
That’s what Bolt says
Bolt Nordics spokesman Jens Ogren explains to DinSide that reserved rides will be more expensive than regular rides, because the company adds a small addon to incentivize drivers to make these rides and compensate them for the extra wait time.
– When booking a trip, customers will be shown the price of their trip. He says that after an order is placed, the price is locked and will not change unless the customer exceeds the free five-minute waiting period, or changes the destination.
According to Orgren, their systems indicate that this flight has been booked in advance. He explains that the advance booking function allows customers to book a flight up to 72 hours in advance.
– The price of the trip is mentioned in the application when the customer requests the trip. This is a fixed price and will only change if the customer exceeds the free five-minute waiting period, or changes destination. Of course, customers can cancel the ride at no additional cost an hour before their ride, he says.