Bolt South Africa has permanently blocked over 6 000 drivers from its mobile app during the past six months, due to non-compliance and safety-related matters.
According to a statement, the move is part of Bolt’s ongoing commitment to improve safety on its platform, by taking strict measures against any misconduct to ensure a safer environment for riders and drivers.
The company says it will continue to permanently block drivers and riders, who have been reported for misconduct, from accessing the platform. These operational measures aim to amplify customers’ safety features and trip experience.
In the e-hailing industry, the permanent blocking of drivers – who work as independent contractors – includes the termination of the contractual agreement between the company and the driver.
Weyinmi Aghadiuno, Bolt Africa acting head of regulatory and policy, comments: “At Bolt, maintaining the highest standards of safety and trust is paramount. We understand the trust our customers place in us, and we are taking proactive steps to ensure their well-being during every ride.
“We believe that one incident is too many, and we want to ensure our platform consists of top-rated drivers, which will result in a better overall ride experience.”
Bolt has 150 million customers in more than 45 countries across the globe. In Africa, the e-hailer operates across seven countries – SA, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania and Tunisia − and 70 cities on the continent.
Since inception, the e-hailing industry has been tainted by incidents of crime, violent attacks and drivers being accused of harassment, alleged rape of female passengers, and theft of passengers’ money and mobile phones.
Some of these crimes have been attributed to the so-called “tenant drivers” who illegally rent out their Bolt accounts to friends or strangers who are not formally registered with or known to Bolt.
Registered drivers of the e-hailing app have been increasingly accused of this act, which involves a daily rental fee paid to the legitimate driver – often leading to the unknown driver committing criminal acts under an innocent person’s name.
Over the past few years, Bolt has threatened to block drivers who rent out their Bolt accounts. It previously told ITWeb: “Any driver found to be renting their profile to any other party, or allowing any unauthorised person to use their profile for any reason, will be removed from the platform permanently.
“Renting a profile to someone or from someone constitutes an act of fraud, and Bolt will not hesitate to lay charges of fraud with the South African Police Service if its investigations reveal that an individual has committed either of these crimes.”
Bolt says driver accounts may be blocked for several reasons, including using a false identity, invalid or expired documents, dangerous or harmful on-trip conduct and soliciting offline trips.
For other non-serious incidents, driver accounts can be temporarily suspended. During such cases, drivers can appeal the account suspension by contacting Bolt’s support team.
The company says it has put in place other key measures to create a safer ride-hailing experience for drivers and riders, including a trip audio recording feature, an in-app emergency response service, trip monitoring tools, and rider and driver verification capabilities, requiring drivers and new customers to take a selfie and upload an ID.
“In addition to the driver screening process, where drivers undergo a background check before being able to drive on the app, Bolt has intensified its efforts to enforce platform guidelines. Any driver or rider found violating safety standards or being non-compliant will face swift and decisive consequences, including permanent suspension from the platform.”