Bolt, which is Africa’s most popular on-demand transportation service, is adding a new safety tool to its app that will let both drivers and riders start an audio recording of their trip.
The statement says that the new feature is meant to help them if they are feeling uncomfortable during the ride.
Users can only turn on the voice trip recording feature while their Bolt ride is in progress.
The recorded audio can be easily sent to the company’s customer service team, making it easier to handle safety issues quickly and effectively. Bolt can listen to the recorded audio if it is added as a file to a safety case that has been raised with Customer Support.
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This function will first be tested in a few cities in South Africa and Nigeria, and users will need to have the latest version of the Bolt app installed to use it. Benin City seems to be the city in Nigeria where the tryst will take place.
Bolt Country Manager Yahaya Mohammed said the firm prioritises client safety; therefore, the latest feature is part of its investment in that aim.
“At Bolt, safety is our top priority, and the audio trip recording feature is the newest addition to our in-app safety toolkit for drivers and riders who feel uncomfortable during a ride. It’s part of our continued investment in safety through new products, features, and our dedicated in-house, specifically trained safety team to strengthen the Bolt app’s safety ecosystem and offer drivers and riders a high-quality ride-hailing experience.
The Country Manager says that the new feature improves the safety tools that users and drivers can use in the app. It also shows how much Bolt wants to make the app safer.
By investing money in safety measures, the ride-hailing app offers a safe and reliable ride.
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Bolt’s new interest in customer safety
Nigerians like to use ride-hailing services because they are easy and fun to use. The site is used by drivers to make money. People in general worry about safety, and ride-hailing users are no different. So ride-hailing networks must put the safety of their clients first.
This is also true for Bolt, no matter how much the company improves the security features of the website to protect its users. Bolt’s commitment to safety starts with the way the company checks out its drivers.
Before a driver can work for Bolt, they must pass a full security check. The person’s criminal history, driving record, and car registration are all looked into. The company also requires that drivers have their cars checked out regularly to make sure they are in good shape and safe to drive.
Its new safety features for riders include identity verification for drivers when they sign up and on an ongoing basis, trip sharing so friends and family can see where you are, and the SOS emergency assist button to quickly and quietly call emergency services or private security partners.
Rider rating, phone masking, and stationary vehicle monitoring are other driver safety features already in place. Rider rating lets Bolt block customers with bad behavior; phone masking hides drivers’ phone numbers; and stationary vehicle monitoring alerts Bolt’s safety team if a driver’s car stays still for too long.
The company has told drivers and riders who use its app to arrange rides offline. The company says that offline trips turn off GPS tracking, which puts drivers and customers in danger.
Kenyan police have connected the ride-hailing app to a group of two kidnappers in Nairobi.
The company said in a statement that the event had happened and that it would help bring the criminals to justice. “We worked with the authorities to give them important information about this case that helped bring the investigation to a close,” the statement said.