Ride-hailing app Bolt is launching Trusted Contacts, a feature that will enable passengers and drivers to add names and phone numbers of friends or relatives to a list of contacts for their account.

The new feature will enable Bolt’s Safety Team to get in touch with the account holder’s kin if he/she can’t be reached.

This is part of Bolt’s ongoing investment in upgrades to safety features on its platform and will ensure quicker escalation of Ride Check notifications, Emergency Assist requests or any other significant safety incident reported if the Safety Team can’t get a hold of the account holder.

This is the latest safety feature announced by Bolt as part of its Ksh 14 billion commitment over three years, joining a suite of existing safety features in its in-app safety toolkit.

Recent passenger safety features include Ride Check to proactively detect whether there’s anything out of the ordinary during a trip, Share Location for real-time location sharing with friends and family, and Emergency Assist to help riders quickly and discreetly alert emergency services or private security partners.

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Dimmy Kanyankole General Manager Bolt Kenya and Tanzania said the new feature will boost Bolt users’ safety further enhancing user experience.

“With Trusted Contacts, we aim to build on our existing efforts by ensuring we can quickly escalate a Ride Check notification or Emergency Assist request to a friend or family member if we can’t get a hold of the Bolt account holder, themselves. It’s part of our ongoing investment in safety through new products, features, and our dedicated in-house specially trained safety team, to ensure that we can continue to improve the safety ecosystem of the Bolt app, offering drivers and riders a high-quality ride-hailing experience,” Mr. Kanyankole said.

As Bolt continues to prioritize the safety of its passengers and drivers, the introduction of Trusted Contacts is another step towards ensuring a safe and reliable ride-hailing experience.

By enabling riders and drivers to include their loved ones in crucial safety moments, Bolt remains committed to building a platform that not only meets the safety needs of its users but also provides peace of mind at every step of the journey.

Trusted contacts can be notified if you are unreachable, enhancing safety for passengers and drivers.