• Bolt has announced that it has permanently blocked more than 6 000 drivers on its platform in South Africa over the past six months.
• The company says the drivers have been blocked due to “non-compliance and safety-related matters”.
• What happens to drivers once they have been blocked, has not been disclosed.

Despite the convenience, safety continues to be a concern for many ridesharing apps. In an effort to actively address this, Bolt has issued an updated on measures it has taken this year, with more than 6 000 drivers having been permanently blocked on the platform over the past six months.

While it has not delved into the precise reasons for permanently banning drivers, Bolt has noted that the bans have been issued due to “non-compliance and safety-related matters”.

“This move is part of Bolt’s ongoing commitment to providing top safety infrastructure within the ride-hailing industry. The company 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 on its platform,” the company shared in a release with Hypertext.

“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 that our platform consists of top-rated drivers, which will result in a better overall ride experience,” added acting head of Regulatory & Policy Africa at the company, Weyinmi Aghadiuno.

It is good to see Bolt taking action as regards drivers who have infringed upon the platform’s terms of service or rules of conduct, but with no further detail around the nature of the 6 000 permanent bans, it is a cause for concern.

Also absent in Bolt’s press release is any mention of what happens to drivers once they are banned from the platform, and whether there is any communication between different ridesharing apps locally.

As such, it is unclear as to whether driver can simply be banned from Bolt and head over to Uber or InDrive to be onboarded and potentially do harm to users of those platforms. The same enquiry applies to riders, as they too can be banned from using Bolt’s services for misconduct.

Hopefully more collaboration on this front is on the agenda for ridesharing apps, especially if they care concerned with user safety.