Bolt, one of Uber’s many ride-hailing rivals, has grown its number of London passengers to over 1.5m in six months. And, to coincide with announcing that figure, it has opened a hub for drivers in Chiswick, West London.

The driver hub, staffed by a driver liaison team, provides a location for current and prospective drivers to have their questions answered and receive other information. The space will also be used to host events and forums.

“Our new London driver hub allows us to offer a better and more personal service,” said Sam Raciti, UK country manager at Bolt. “Mirroring our driver-focused company ethos, we consulted drivers during the planning stage. The feedback we received suggested drivers wanted the hub located somewhere outside the London congestion zone, with good access to the M25, M4 and Heathrow, and easily accessible from a thoroughfare. Chiswick was the perfect location to meet these criteria. Now, we look forward to welcoming drivers on a daily basis and helping them to get the most out of the Bolt platform.”

Since launching in London in June, Bolt has accepted more than 30,000 drivers on to its platform, where it only charges 15 per cent commission. The Bolt app’s trust-building features include revealing the driver’s photo, name, vehicle type, registration, and their rating.

Last month, Uber was stripped of its London license by Transport for London for putting passengers at risk when an error enabled unauthorised drivers to upload their photos to other Uber driver accounts and pick up passengers. The world’s biggest ride-hailing firm is appealing the decision and, as such, can continue to operate for the time being at least.

Elsewhere, fellow ride-hailing rival Ola has begun registering licensed drivers in London as it prepares to launch its platform in the UK capital “in the coming weeks”.