Bolt, a leading ride-hailing platform in Ghana, has introduced two new features on the app to keep its drivers safe and a unique rating system to improve its riders’ experience.

Similar to the riding-sharing feature for riders, the new safety feature will allow drivers to share a link with their friends or loved ones that shows their real-time journey information.

The link can be shared via email, SMS, WhatsApp or Telegram so that any third party with access to the link can follow the ride status and location in real-time.

Making the announcement, the Country Manager for Bolt in Ghana, David Kotei Nikoi, said that Bolt is committed to constantly improving in-app driver and rider safety.

For this reason, the ride-hailing leader has introduced an active safety feature for all drivers across Ghana.

“This feature is meant to add an extra layer of driver safety whenever necessary and will act as a deterrent to people with potentially malicious intent against our drivers”, he noted.

A new in-app feature, known as Driver Score, has been introduced for driver rating. Driver Score is a transparent metric allowing drivers to better understand their in-app performance and adapt to riders’ needs. 

"It is designed to increase the quality of service and help drivers maximise their earnings, living up to Bolt’s promise of ‘ensuring a positive driver and rider experience.”

For drivers, the Bolt Driver app offers a comprehensive and transparent breakdown of the criteria and statistics that are put together to determine their driver score. These include cancellation rate, completed rides, safety, and any inappropriate driver behaviour.

Commenting on this new feature, Nikoi said, “We believe that anyone who signs up to drive with Bolt wants to be a great driver. As such, the Driver Score feature gives them constant feedback about their performance which helps drivers improve.

"It also encourages improvements in drivers’ habits and helps them aim to offer the best possible rider experience.”

Bolt has always put the safety of users at the forefront of its operations. So it is no surprise that these new features complement existing ones that allow riders to share their ride details with family and friends, follow the maps on their own devices, and verify the number plates of cars before they begin their journey.

This feature is a practical addition to Bolt’s in-app customer experience because it offers riders the best chances of being paired with a driver committed to high-quality service.