Bolt, Africa's leading ride-hailing platform, is rolling out its rider verification feature with the option for customers in South Africa to verify themselves.
This is part of Bolt’s ongoing investment in safety features on its platform, enhancing driver-rider trust and offering drivers more reasons to respond to a request for a ride, which in turn will translate to an overall faster, more efficient experience for clients.
As part of this in-app feature, customers will be given the option to take a selfie before they are able to place a ride-hailing order. For the selfie to be valid, it needs to be an authentic picture of a physically present person, with the face clearly visible. The rider will also need to upload an identification document, which Bolt will check against the selfie. The validation process takes from a few seconds to a couple of minutes and requires the latest version of the app to use.
Rider verification joins existing trip verification features, including driver verification, trip count, trip details, Driver Score and Rider Ratings. These are part of Bolt’s extensive list of safety features, including the in-app safety toolkit enabling drivers to share their ride details with a friend or loved one, to access the Emergency Assist button, and to trigger an audio recording of their trip if they ever feel uncomfortable during a ride. With trip safety monitoring, Bolt automatically engages with riders and drivers in-app when a vehicle remains still for too long to confirm everything is okay, and driver alerts help flag any areas on a trip’s route where high volumes of driver and rider safety cases have been reported to Bolt’s Customer Support team.
Weyinmi Aghadiuno, acting head of regulatory and policy Africa, said: “Being able to verify that riders are who they say they are is the number one feature requested by driver-partners in South Africa. The launch of rider verification acknowledges the importance of mutual trust between driver partners and riders. With increased investment in verification features like this that consider the trip as a whole, we aim to continue building driver and rider trust, which is critical to the safety of the platform.”
These new enhancements reflect Bolt’s commitment to continuous improvement and innovation in safety technology. By leveraging driver feedback, Bolt aims to provide a safer and more reliable service for its Bolt community. As the ride-hailing industry evolves, Bolt remains at the forefront, prioritising the well-being of its community and setting new standards for safety and trust.