Bolt South Africa rolls out more trip safety monitoring features

Bolt South Africa has launched two in-app security features—a trip monitoring tool and a driver alerts feature—in an attempt to strengthen security on its platform.

As stated in a release, these new features are part of the ride-hailing platform’s ongoing dedication to passenger and driver safety across Africa.

These features deliver real-time assistance through sophisticated trip monitoring tools and valuable alerts for drivers.

Bolt’s new trip monitoring feature allows the company to track the full journey once a passenger has been picked up. If the vehicle stays stationary for a prolonged period, Bolt proactively interacts with both the driver and passenger through the app.

This feature not only serves to check on everyone’s well-being during the trip but also delivers a swift and convenient method to access emergency services or seek help when needed.

Additionally, the driver alerts function serves to provide drivers with pertinent details about their upcoming trips. This equips drivers with adequate information to make sound decisions, especially when their route comprises areas that have been flagged for safety concerns.

Takura Malaba, Regional Manager, East and Southern Africa at Bolt said;

Rolling out new trip safety monitoring features, as well as driver alerts, is the latest set of upgrades to our ongoing efforts to make it possible for drivers and passengers to seek support if they ever need it.

Bolt operates in seven African countries – South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, and Tunisia, serving 70 cities on the continent.

Conflict and unrest have characterized the past few years as e-hailing drivers have held nationwide protests, advocating government intervention over rising incidents of crime against them, often perpetrated by criminals and competing metered taxi operators.

The industry has been marred by incidents of violent attacks, with drivers sometimes being hijacked or killed by criminals posing as riders.

In response to these safety concerns, Bolt recently rolled out new safety measures such as an audio trip recording feature and a passenger verification feature. The latter requires passengers to take a selfie before being able to place a ride-hailing order, bolstering driver-passenger trust.

Bolt has announced plans to introduce additional safety features, including route deviation alerts and delayed ride completion warnings, as part of its ongoing platform safety enhancements and investments.