Bolt South Africa has strengthened its safety measures following recent attacks on e-hailing drivers.
Last month, an e-hailing driver was killed at Maponya Mall in Soweto, allegedly by taxi operators. The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) condemned the killing, saying violence against e-hailing drivers is not an isolated incident, but is part of a systematic pattern of intimidation and harassment by certain taxi operators to maintain control over passenger transport routes.
To protect drivers, new high-risk area alerts are being introduced to warn them of unsafe zones before they accept trips. Bolt said in a statement that drivers will not be penalised for declining these trips, empowering them to make informed decisions about their safety.
The e-hailing company said any act of violence or criminal behaviour against drivers or passengers will not be tolerated.
“Growth means nothing without safety. We will not tolerate attacks on drivers or passengers on our platform. Safety is non-negotiable, and we are committed to doing everything we can to protect the millions of people who trust us every day,” said Simo Kalajdzic, senior operations manager at Bolt South Africa.
The company has reinforced its zero-tolerance policy against violence and is committed to supporting investigations and working hand in hand with government and law enforcement to ensure perpetrators are held accountable. Bolt reiterated that anyone found guilty of misconduct or criminal behaviour will be permanently removed from the platform.
“Passengers are encouraged to take simple precautions to protect themselves, including verifying driver details in the app before boarding, waiting in safe and visible areas, sharing trip details with family and friends and reporting suspicious behaviour immediately,” said Bolt.
“All drivers undergo strict vetting before being allowed onto the platform, including criminal record checks, licence and PrDP (professional driving permit) verification and ongoing identity verification through random selfie checks to ensure only the authorised driver is behind the wheel.”
Bolt added it will continue expanding into more cities and introducing new services, but its strongest investment remains in safety and security, supported by active collaboration with government and law enforcement to create a safer environment for all.
In June, Bolt introduced multi-layered safety features, including AI-powered dashboard cameras, in-trip GPS tracking, real-time trip sharing, emergency assistance tools, audio trip recording and mandatory rider ID verification. This was also due to increasing attacks on e-hailing drivers, incidents of hijacking and growing tensions in the transport industry.
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