8 Oct 2021
Ensuring the safety of our communities is always our number one priority. Today we’d like to highlight the processes and features Bolt has in place to keep drivers safe when out on the road. It doesn’t matter if you’re a long-time Bolt driver or you’ve only recently started, we recommend reading through this article and keeping this information handy going forward.
Drivers can contact Bolt via phone, (see city contact information), directly in the app via the Support tab, or via the SOS button, if needed. All safety-related cases are immediately assigned to a dedicated Bolt Safety Specialist who will initiate an investigation. We’re available 24-hours, 7-days a week.
An emergency may call for swift action. If at any point during your journey you feel unsafe, please use the in-app SOS button found on the top right corner of the map portion of your screen. This will send an instant message to a Bolt Safety Specialist who will contact you and notify the Police or other Emergency Services.
At the end of a Bolt ride, you and your passenger are prompted to leave a rating for one another. This allows the Bolt team to gather feedback on everyone who uses our services.
Ratings enable us to have clearer insights into good and bad behaviours observed on the app. If consistent bad behaviour is monitored, we will take appropriate action against the offending party.
Always remember to rate your passengers, it’s one of the easiest ways to ensure safer trips for all users.
Bolt drivers have the right to feel respected and safe when driving on our platform.
Additional feedback, such as reports to our Customer Support team are also taken into account. If an incident is flagged by a Bolt driver, the passenger will receive a message similar to the one below, directing them to Bolt’s Rider Guidelines.
If the aggregate driver feedback rating of a passenger dips below a certain threshold, that passenger will be warned and suspended. Initial suspensions last for at least 6-months.
Permanent suspensions can be issued depending on the severity of their infractions. In the extreme, this may also result in Bolt contacting the police.
Passengers must treat their drivers as they would wish to be treated. Everyone that uses Bolt must conduct themselves in a respectful, lawful and safe manner — there are no exceptions.
We monitor your driving activity when you are on a trip in the Bolt Driver app. After starting a journey, if your vehicle becomes stationary for a set period of time, a Bolt Safety Specialist will be prompted to give you and the rider a call to check in and make sure you’re okay.
If you need to communicate with your passenger before picking them up, both of you can make contact using the in-app chat feature in your apps. This allows you to communicate with a passenger without needing to share your personal phone number.
When using in-app chat make sure you are safely pulled over and not driving.
Now that you know about all the processes and features available to keep you safe, here are some best practices to maximise your safety while driving:
If you ever have any questions related to safety or other matters, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Simply find your city contact information and give us a call or send us an in-app message. We’re always happy to help!
