Background information

Bolt, a platform-based transport and food delivery service provider did what it could to provide safe services to their client (e.g. ensuring that their drivers wore masks and used disinfection products) during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, due to the containment measures, the transport service volumes decreased, which resulted in decreased work-load and decreased remuneration for drives by 20-30%. Therefore, they actively looked for new business directions to stay afloat.

Content of measure

First of all, Bolt Food service, which provides an opportunity for people to order food from restaurants via a mobile app, was changed contactless. Prior to the pandemic, the delivered food was handed directly to the client, but as the emergency situation was declared and contacts between people were restricted, the service was changed so that the food couriers leave the orders to the designated place communicated by the clients via the mobile application.

Secondly, Bold Food launched an entirely new measure – food delivery from food stores. This means that clients were able to order all regular groceries from stores and also prepared foods sold by the stores. The service is provided through the Bolt Food app just like the regular service (food delivery from restaurants). The number of stores that allowed such service increased rather quickly. This also allowed shorter waiting times compared to the food stores’ own delivery services, e.g. the waiting time was approximately one hour.

Thirdly, Bolt started providing parcel delivery service for all companies. The service is provided via a web platform and the parcels are delivered during the same day, but could take also only up to one hour.

Use of measure

No information available.

Contents

• Employment retention
• Other topics

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Applies to all businesses	Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
Company / Companies	No special funding required

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	No involvement as case not in social partner domain
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: Company level

Involvement

Not applicable.

Views and reactions

Not applicable.

Sectors and occupations

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

• 13 March 2020: Measures taken by Bolt during COVID-19 (Bolti meetmed COVID-19 kontekstis) (blog.bolt.eu)
• 16 March 2020: Bolt Food starts food delivery from stores (Bolt Food hakkab toitu poest koju tooma) (blog.bolt.eu)
• 27 March 2020: Bolt launches parcel delivery service (Bolt käivitab ettevõtetele pakiveoteenuse) (www.kaubandus.ee)
• 02 April 2020: Bolt transport service volumes decrease (Bolti transporditeenuse mahud vähenevad) (digi.geenius.ee)