Bolt has expanded its Bolt Send parcel delivery service in Mombasa to include motorbikes, giving individuals and businesses another option for moving small parcels across the city.
The on-demand mobility platform initially introduced Bolt Send in Mombasa using cars in March this year.
The addition of motorbikes is aimed at making deliveries faster and more flexible, particularly for smaller parcels and short distance trips.
Motorbikes can navigate traffic and access locations more easily than larger vehicles.
This makes them suitable for time sensitive deliveries where customers may not need a car but still require a reliable delivery option.
The expansion comes as delivery becomes an increasingly important part of how businesses serve their customers.
Small retailers, online sellers, restaurants, pharmacies, offices and individuals can use the service to move goods and documents across the city.
Senior General Manager Rides, East Africa, Dimmy Kanyankole, said delivery had become an important part of how businesses serve their customers.
“Delivery has become an increasingly important part of how businesses serve their customers,” Kanyankole said.
“For a small business, a delayed delivery can mean a delayed sale, a missed customer or an unnecessary operating cost.”
Kanyankole said the motorcycle option would make it easier to move smaller parcels around Mombasa using an existing platform.
“With Bolt Send on motorbikes, we are making it easier to move smaller parcels around Mombasa using infrastructure that people already know and use,” he said.
The service allows customers to request deliveries through the Bolt app.
Customers receive an upfront price estimate and can track their parcels in real time.
Parcels are transported by eligible Bolt driver partners and the service also offers businesses an alternative to maintaining their own delivery fleets.
A retailer, for example, can send an order directly to a customer.
Businesses can also use the service to move documents between offices.
Online sellers on the other hand can fulfil orders without maintaining their own delivery fleet.
Individuals can also use Bolt Send to send items across town without arranging private transport.
The expansion comes amid changing consumer expectations around delivery.
As e-commerce and social commerce businesses grow, delivery is increasingly becoming part of the customer experience.
Businesses need logistics services that can respond to orders as they happen and bolt says this can reduce their reliance on scheduled or fixed route courier services.
For small and medium sized businesses in Mombasa, on-demand delivery can also provide access to delivery capacity when needed.
According to Bolt, "maintaining delivery vehicles, employing dedicated riders or outsourcing deliveries can add complexity and costs to business operations."
An on-demand model they said allows businesses to access delivery services without maintaining their own fleet.
The motorcycle option also gives eligible Bolt motorcycle partners an opportunity to participate in the growing delivery economy.
They can earn from parcel deliveries alongside other services available on the platform.
Bolt said the expansion is part of its broader strategy of using its existing technology and partner network to respond to everyday mobility and logistics needs.
The company’s move comes as urban logistics in Kenya continues to evolve, with businesses and independent delivery operators increasingly using motorbikes and other smaller vehicles to move goods through busy urban areas.
For Mombasa customers, the latest addition means small parcels can now be moved through the city using a delivery option designed around speed, flexibility and real-time tracking.
