Ride-hailing firm Bolt has opened a new driver hub in Birmingham, supporting further growth in the city.

Bolt has seen rapid growth in demand since launching in Birmingham in June 2021; completed journeys grew 20% between November and December last year

The Uber rival launched in Birmingham in June 2021 shortly after the arrival of the Clean Air Zone and since then has experienced rapid growth in demand; completed journeys grew 20% between November and December.

The new driver hub will aid further expansion and marks its second permanent driver hub in the UK after the launch of its London hub at the end of 2019.

The company has a long-term commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of the private hire sector, offering 100% carbon-neutral rides in Europe, supporting the city with its ongoing mission to improve its air quality following the introduction of the Clean Air Zone.

Intended to support existing drivers as well as encouraging new drivers, Bolt’s new hub will feature a driver check-in and waiting area, eight onboarding desks, and social features to help get drivers signed up with Bolt, including a kitchen, lounge area, large boardroom and locker storage for the team. Bolt is anticipating up to 50 drivers per day will visit the new hub.

Sam Raciti, regional manager, Western Europe at Bolt, said: “After the success of our first driver hub in London, our second hub highlights our commitment towards the city of Birmingham and our drivers in the region. The hub is available to all existing drivers with any queries and to onboard new drivers onto the platform. Our ride-hailing business has now expanded to 16 cities and four million customers in the UK, with further expansions planned nationwide this year.”

Bolt is now present in 16 UK cities following rapid expansion in 2021. It also recently announced its €628m (£522m) funding round to accelerate the transition to shared mobility across the globe, and is now operational in 45 countries and more than 400 cities.