Taxis in Porto now also available through Bolt

Since mid-June, anyone opening the Bolt app inside Portugal’s second-largest city will notice a fresh option next to the familiar TVDE's. Tapping “Taxi” calls one of Raditáxis’ 1 400 licensed cabs, marking the first time since 2020 that the Estonian company has blended classic Portuguese taxis and ride-hailing vehicles on the mainland. The feature had been limited to Madeira and Porto Santo, but a six-month pilot that began weeks before the São João street festival has now brought it across the Atlantic. Bolt executives say the move will shorten average wait times, especially on Friday nights and airport runs, when surge pricing and a shortage of TVDE cars – the Portuguese acronym for app-based hire vehicles – often frustrate visitors.

How the Three New Fare Types Work

When a traveller enters a pick-up point and destination, the screen now offers three cab choices. A “Normal” taxi charges whatever the dashboard meter reads, mirroring the long-standing tariff set annually by the Institute for Mobility and Transport. A “Light” taxi uses Bolt’s dynamic pricing model, which may be cheaper outside rush hour but can spike during crunch periods much like any ride-hailing trip. Finally, “XL” pairs the metered fare with a seven-seat van or estate car for bulkier luggage or small groups. Mário de Morais, head of ride-hailing for Bolt Portugal, argues that maintaining the physical meter protects drivers’ traditional bandeiradabandeirada – the flat starting fee that some feared would disappear in an app environment – while still giving riders a near-exact estimate before the door shuts.

Why Porto Came First

Porto is both a laboratory and a stress test. The metropolitan area of roughly 1.7 million residents welcomes more than four million tourists each year, yet its fleet of TVDE drivers is smaller than Lisbon’s and thins out along the coast toward Matosinhos and Vila Nova de Gaia. Partnering again with Raditáxis, the 50-year-old cooperative that dominates the local cab rank at Campanhã station and Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport, gives Bolt an immediate pool of vetted, English-speaking drivers without having to recruit and train new TVDE license holders. The timing also dovetailed with the late-June São João celebrations, when locals light bonfires in the street and taxis historically plug gaps left by crowded metro services.

A Glimpse of Nationwide Expansion

Nuno Inácio, Bolt’s chief for Southern Europe, confirmed to the Lusa news agency that the Porto trial will run for six months, after which the company expects to add Coimbra, Faro and parts of Greater Lisbon. Internal targets point to full mainland coverage by the end of the third quarter of 2025, assuming municipal taxi associations sign identical agreements. That schedule means visitors looking for Fall wine-harvest getaways in the Douro or beach weekends in the Algarve could see the taxi button appear as early as September.

What Foreign Residents and Visitors Should Keep in Mind

Portugal regulates taxis and TVDEs differently. Cabs can legally use bus lanes and may pick up passengers on the street, while TVDEs must rely on app bookings and face stricter vehicle-age requirements. For newcomers holding a non-EU driving licence – and therefore limited to 185 days before needing a Portuguese permit – Bolt’s blended offering reduces the need to rent a car during that bureaucratic window. Fares remain cheaper than in most western European capitals: a ten-minute hop from Porto’s Ribeira riverfront to Casa da Música costs about six euros in off-peak hours, meter or no meter. Cashless payment inside the app also removes any guesswork over tipping, which in Portugal is discretionary and rarely exceeds five percent.

The Broader Mobility Picture

Bolt entered Portugal in 2018 and now runs electric scooters and bicycles in 18 cities, part of a pledge to cut private-car dependency. By re-embracing taxis, the firm joins Uber – which integrated Lisbon’s Teletaxis cooperative in 2022 – in betting that hybrid platforms will best handle sudden tourist spikes and airport strikes. Local regulators view the trial as a test case for modernising an industry that still requires green-and-black licence lights on every roof. For expatriates weighing a move or a holiday, the immediate effect is simpler: one app, more cars, less waiting.