Bolt commits Kshs 14 Billion to enhance safety measures in Kenya

Ride-hailing giant Bolt has announced a significant commitment of Kshs 14 billion over the next three years to enhance safety on its platform. The investment will focus on raising awareness of Bolt’s safety features and scaling preventative measures to mitigate safety incidents before they occur.

The initiative will introduce several new safety tools in the coming months, including trip verification features designed to strengthen mutual trust between riders and driver partners. Key updates include a trip count system and a unique four-digit trip pick-up code to ensure riders are matched correctly with their drivers.

Additionally, Bolt plans to scale its Rider Verification solution and upgrade existing safety features. Enhancements will include:

Ride Check: Proactively detects unexpected changes in trip routes or delays, ensuring swift responses to potential issues.

Trusted Contacts: Allows users to share their trip details with friends or family, escalating Ride Check notifications to loved ones when necessary.

Linda Ndungu, Bolt Kenya’s General Manager for rides, highlighted the importance of the investment:

“With the Kshs 14 billion committed over three years to safety, we recognise that this requires an end-to-end approach across our business in Kenya. We’ll also continue to raise awareness of our safety tools with educational campaigns like the current ‘Bolt Safety Team’ campaign running in Kenya, to raise awareness of the in-app features that we know can help prevent cases.”

This safety-focused investment underscores Bolt’s commitment to creating a secure and reliable ride-hailing experience for both riders and driver partners in Kenya. The company encourages users to take advantage of its safety features while it continues to innovate for enhanced security.