Bolt is the all-in-one mobility app and website.
The platform offers users to get picked up by a top-rated driver in minutes and enjoy a comfortable ride or skip the traffic entirely on one of with scooters.

Background

I was asked to add to the platform a new feature: Booking shared rides online.

There’s a growing demand for flexible and cost-effective commuting solutions, especially in urban areas where shared rides help reduce congestion and commuting expenses. As more users become eco-conscious, shared rides also align with sustainability goals by minimizing the number of cars on the road.

An online booking feature for shared rides allows users to plan their trips in advance, ensuring they have a reliable option when they need it. It’s particularly beneficial for business commuters or groups who prefer secure, scheduled transport options.

Interviews & Studies

About 1.6 Billion travelled in ride-hailing & taxi worldwide in 2023. The number of users will only increase - in 2029 2.3 B people will travel in ride hailing and taxis (Statisa). Global Taxi Market size was valued at USD 229.89 Billion in 2023.

A large number of vehicles on the road contributes to traffic jams,
but inefficient and little public transportation encourages people to use their own vehicles. 

Based on the research, it was concluded that the target audience should be people working in tech or private company and
are from high socioeconomic status, 25-55 years old.
This target audience arrive at the office or return home from the office in the most efficient way.

They prefer taxis over public transportation, which is unpredictable at times and runs on a fixed route, for these passengers. They save travel time and money by avoiding parking by car, take advantage of the travel time to work, and take advantage of the shorter travel time. 

Users Research

Many people see work travel as lost time.
It doesn’t have to be that way.

This new feature will give the user a comfortable ride to work, with co workers or people working in the same building / Office area, that can be a great platform for mingling and business opportunities.

Users will be able to book a ride on his laptop while working, that can be another task like writing an email.
More over, if the ride is for a business meeting, the user can book the ride for himself, or for a customer.

The target market is 25-55 years old, working at a Tech or private company.

They must be fast and efficient, they use the driving time for work tasks, phone calls or catching up on news and social media.

The users are from a High / Medium socioeconomic status. They can drive by car to work but prefer to use the driving time for work. Prefer a Bolt drive with less passenger than bus or train (lack of reliable public transit) but at the same time would like to get to work in a sustainable way.

We’ve decided to focus on three main needs:

1. Time and money: Our users can drive to work by car, they have the money to drive a car, but prefer to use the driving time for work and to get to work by taxi.

2. Efficiency & Comfort: Our users are busy, they always have another task to finish, another mail that need to be response and another phone call that needs to be maid. The time to get to work or to a meeting is a golden time, sometimes the drive to work can take an hour or even more, plus the parking can take a while too. Instead of that our users can focus on work.

3. Social Interaction: Business opportunities, collaborations, and mingling can be cultivated on shared trips with colleagues or people from nearby offices.

Time & Money

User Analysis

To conduct effective competitor research on Uber Pool and Lyft Shared, here’s a focused breakdown to understand their approaches, strengths, and areas for improvement, which can inform how to tailor Bolt's shared ride feature:

Uber Pool: offers riders the option to share rides with others going in the same direction, aiming to reduce costs and congestion while maximizing vehicle occupancy.
These rides are cheaper than standard Uber rides due to cost-sharing, which attracts budget-conscious users.

Challenges:

1. Detours and Time Trade-Offs: While convenient, Uber Pool sometimes requires riders to wait for additional passengers and traffic, leading to potential delays. This is a common concern for business riders with strict schedules.

2. Reduced Availability: Uber has limited its Pool services in some regions or during off-peak hours, which can create inconsistency in availability.

3. Business-Specific Options: Uber Pool doesn’t currently have business-specific options. Bolt could appeal to professionals with features like fast-tracking routes to work hubs or flexible cancellation options.

Lyft Shared (Stopped the service in May 2023): offered a similar experience to Uber Pool, allowing riders to share their ride with others going in the same direction. Its aim was to make ride-sharing more affordable and accessible while easing city congestion.

Challenges:

1. Inconsistent travel route: Travel route between two different passengers created a remote travel route that ended up doubling the travel time and much more than the app had estimated. CEO, David Risher, admitted that this is the main reason Lyft stopped the shared rides.

2. Unavailability in Some Markets: Lyft Shared was not always available in smaller or suburban areas, limiting its convenience for many users.

Industry Trends

After our competitive research we’ve decided to look for industry trends. These trends indicate a growing market for flexible, eco-friendly, and efficient commuting options designed for business professionals.

1. Corporate Mobility Solutions and Employer-Sponsored Commuting:
   Many companies are now offering corporate mobility solutions to help employees commute more easily and sustainably. This includes partnerships with ride-sharing providers, subsidies for commuting costs, and even direct access to shared transportation options.

2. Flexible Work and Hybrid Commuting Patterns

   With hybrid and flexible work schedules, commuting patterns are less predictable, often with peaks on certain days like Tuesdays to Thursdays. Business people are less likely to commute daily, so demand for shared rides may fluctuate based on office attendance.

3. Growth of Eco-Conscious and Sustainable Commuting Options

   Many business users and companies are becoming more eco-conscious, seeking to reduce their carbon footprint through sustainable commuting options. Ride-sharing aligns with these goals, offering a lower-carbon alternative compared to single-occupancy car rides.

4. Technology-Driven Enhancements: Autonomous Vehicles and Route Optimization

   Emerging technologies, like autonomous vehicles and AI-driven route optimization, are expected to reshape ride-sharing over the coming years. Although fully autonomous fleets are still developing, smart route optimization can make shared rides more efficient and appealing for users.

Pricing & Revenue Models

One of our challenges was the payment method. The new feature is a shared ride witch means the payment is split between the taxi passengers.

We look for competitors in different fields:

A Netflix account is meant to be shared by people living together in one household.
For other people, that don’t live in the same household, the account owner will need to purchase an extra member slot.

Wolt allows users to split payments when ordering together from the same restaurant. Group orders enable friends or colleagues to select items individually while splitting the final bill at checkout.

Airbnb allows users to split payments for group bookings, so each participant pays their portion rather than one person covering the entire bill. This feature is commonly used for group travel, making it easy to manage expenses within the app.

These apps offer different models for in-platform payment splitting that could be relevant for Bolt’s shared ride feature. By adopting an approach similar to Wolt or Airbnb, Bolt could enable business users to split fares seamlessly, making it more attractive for those who commute together regularly or for employers subsidizing shared rides.

Following our gorilla testing and research, we decided to simplify the process with a focus on the passenger’s experience: ensuring they feel comfortable, safe with fellow riders, and enjoy an efficient journey.

SO… Let’s

Conclusions

Working on the Bolt project has been a great opportunity. Designing a feature that enables online booking for shared rides brought unique challenges of balancing the needs of business users.

On a personal note, I live in Tel Aviv and primarily get around the city by bike and public transportation. Most of my colleagues also use public transit, though many drive, and traffic is a constant topic of conversation and frustration every morning. A few years ago, I started using Bubble Dan twice a week to commute to the office. This service allowed me to use a more convenient yet slightly more expensive public transit option with designated pickup points and shared rides. Unfortunately, the service shut down, and I returned to the bus with its own set of drawbacks, so this project felt particularly close to my heart.

Throughout the project, we focused on making shared rides feel safe, comfortable, and efficient for users, helping Bolt align with modern commuting needs and sustainability goals.

The final design solution not only supports Bolt’s mission to promote efficient and eco-friendly commuting but also empowers users with a convenient, reliable experience tailored to their professional needs. This project has deepened my understanding of the intersections between UX design, operational efficiency, and sustainability, bringing me closer to the mission of creating meaningful, user-centered solutions in transportation.