Ride-hailing platform Bolt has come out to reassure its clients about their safety while using its rides following a recent safety incident. In a press release, the firm stated that it takes safety incidents very seriously and has a zero-tolerance policy on any driver or rider misconduct. In efforts to further enhance the safety ecosystem of the app, Bolt has encouraged its users to utilise its safety support and reporting mechanisms that are available in-app.
“As part of our commitment to safety, we persistently pursue innovation and allocate resources towards improving our safety features, all while enhancing our driver verification procedures. Our goal is to ensure the presence of high-quality drivers on our platform. We also continue to work collaboratively with the local authorities to address these incidents comprehensively,” said Linda Ndungu, Country Manager, Bolt Kenya.
In the latest safety incident, a Bolt driver sexually exposed himself to a female passenger.
Bolt continues to implement substantial operational adjustments to enhance the quality of drivers on its platform. Through collaboration with the industry regulator, National Safety and Transportation Authority (NTSA) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Bolt ensures that all drivers on its platform undergo thorough background checks and have all the statutory documents required for operations. Bolt also offers guidance to drivers through training sessions, and ongoing assessments to guarantee secure and dependable mobility solutions.
The Bolt app has an array of safety features including:
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Driver and car verification feature that allows riders to check and confirm that the driver and car that picks them, is the same as the one displayed on the app.
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Driver Selfie Check: The driver selfie check feature requires drivers to submit a picture of themselves to confirm their identity. The feature is tackling industry-wide safety issues derived from drivers sharing accounts or creating multiple accounts. Drivers that fail selfie verification are restricted from ride-hailing on Bolt’s platform.
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Driver and rider trip-sharing feature allows drivers and riders to share the status of their live trips with a third party, who has the opportunity to follow the trip in real-time. The trips are also tracked and monitored in real-time by Bolt throughout the journey.
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Share ETA feature on the riders app that enables them to share their live trip details with emergency contact numbers, thereby bolstering safety throughout their journey.
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SOS emergency button that can be used to alert and seek security or medical assistance at any time during a Bolt trip, where a driver, a passenger, or another road user is in immediate danger.
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Rider and driver rating score features that also allows drivers and riders to rate each other after every trip. The feature monitors behaviour as rated by either the drivers or the riders, and allows Bolt to warn and/or block anyone with unacceptable behaviour. The ratings are taken into careful consideration and Bolt addresses situations where those ratings are significantly low, or an incident is reported.
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24/7 monitoring and customer support assistance for safety incidents.
“Safety is an industry-wide issue and requires collective responsibility. Bolt is committed to providing safe and secure mobility solutions to all. We therefore, encourage all users on our platform to report any incidents and share feedback to our dedicated Safety Support team through the in-app support feature, accessible from the Bolt application menu or via [email protected],” added Linda.
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