No app? No problem: Bolt launches kiosks in Prague to order rides

Bolt has introduced a new way to order a ride in Prague that does not require a smartphone or the company’s app.

The ride-hailing platform has launched self-service kiosks using TapBox technology at Westfield Chodov, with a second kiosk scheduled to open at Westfield Černý Most on Sept. 1. The terminals are designed for people who do not have the Bolt app, have no smartphone or simply find themselves with a dead phone battery.

The kiosks operate around the clock and can be used in Czech, English, German, French and Ukrainian, making the service potentially useful for both local residents and international visitors.

Passengers use the touchscreen to enter their destination, choose a vehicle category (Standard, Comfort, Premium or XL) and provide a phone number. Payment is made by card at the kiosk.

The passenger then receives a printed confirmation and an SMS containing the vehicle details, estimated arrival time and instructions on where the driver will pick them up.

Bolt is also creating designated pickup areas at both shopping centers. The company says this should make it easier for passengers to find their driver and reduce the need for drivers to stop in potentially unsuitable locations, such as bus stops.

There is a CZK 25 surcharge for rides ordered through the kiosks. Bolt says the service uses the same pricing system, safety standards and driver network as rides ordered through its app.

“Sometimes you simply have a situation where your phone battery is dead,” Jan Uhlíř, Bolt’s general manager for the Czech Republic and Slovakia, said in a press statement. “We also still have users who don't have our app or don't have a smartphone at all.”

Bolt says the kiosks have already been tested in Slovakia, where the company introduced them at airports earlier this summer. The company says customers began using them immediately, prompting the Czech rollout at locations with high numbers of potential passengers.

For drivers, Bolt says the kiosks could provide another source of customers directly at busy locations, reducing waiting time between rides.

The company will initially evaluate how the kiosks perform at Chodov and Černý Most before deciding whether to expand the system to other high-traffic locations.

Potential future locations could include Prague train stations and hospitals. Bolt is not currently planning to introduce the kiosks outside Prague.

An airport location could also eventually be considered, although Bolt says this would depend on an agreement with Prague Airport.