In a bid to crackdown on criminal activity on the Bolt app, the e-hailing company said on Thursday that it was introducing new features aimed at improving driver and rider safety.

Bolt said clients would now be required to take a clear selfie before requesting a ride and that an identification document of the rider may be required to be submitted on the app.

Drivers on the platform have long complained about being robbed by clients, who usually order rides and rob drivers of their earnings, cellphones and sometimes, their cars.

In June, Bolt announced it had shut down over 6,000 driver profiles for a variety of reasons, including non-compliance and safety-related matters.

As the company went on a massive driver clean-up campaign, it also introduced selfies for drivers in a bid to combat the practice of rented profiles. As of December, new Bolt rider profiles require a selfie to be uploaded on the app.

Bolt said their rider verification strategy was part of their ongoing investment in safety features on its platform, while also enhancing driver-rider trust and offering drivers more reasons to pick up an order.

They said they hoped the new measures would improve response times and create a more efficient experience for drivers and riders on the platform.

“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,” said Weyinmi Aghadiuno, the acting head of regulatory and policy for the Africa region.

Bolt has added new features that protect both the client and the driver. Picture: Supplied

How it works

Bolt said the new in-app feature would give riders an option to take a selfie before they are able to place a ride-hailing order. Valid selfies had to show the face clearly.

The rider would also need to upload an identification document, which Bolt will check against the selfie. The validation process could take anything from a few seconds to a couple of minutes.

The submitted selfie and ID picture would not be sent to the driver, but would be kept by Bolt as a safety a measure.

The latest rider verification system becomes an added feature on top of other existing features such as driver verification, trip count, trip details, Driver Score, and Rider Ratings, audio recording and the Emergency Assist button.

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