Women for Women, an established and growing ride category, offers female passengers an additional safety-focused choice when booking a trip.
As conversations around women’s safety continue across South Africa, Bolt is reminding riders of the practical safety tools available in its app before, during and after a trip including its Women for Women category which we are seeing an increase in.
Women for Women is an established Bolt ride category that enables eligible women riders to request trips with women driver-partners. It provides an additional safety-focused option for female passengers who may feel more comfortable travelling with a woman driver-partner. The category continues to grow, reflecting ongoing interest from both women riders and women driver-partners.
Bolt’s wider safety approach combines technology, verification, trip monitoring and access to trained support teams. Before a driver can access the Bolt platform, they are required to complete applicable onboarding and verification processes, including checks of required documents such as a valid driver’s licence and criminal-record checks.
Before collection, riders can view key driver and vehicle information in the app, including the driver’s name, profile photograph, rating, vehicle make, model and registration number. Riders are encouraged to confirm that these details match the driver and vehicle arriving for the trip before getting in.
Riders can also enable pick-up codes in the app for an added layer of confirmation at the start of a journey. The driver should enter the rider’s code before the trip begins, helping to ensure that the correct rider enters the correct vehicle.
The in-app panic Button, available through Emergency Assist, enables riders to discreetly alert an emergency response team. Bolt’s Safety team is also notified and can make a welfare call. Riders can share the vehicle make, model, registration number and their live location with friends or family through a shareable link, while trips booked through Bolt are tracked and recorded on the platform.
Bolt also uses internal safety mapping and risk-monitoring tools to help identify high-risk areas. Its Ride Check functionality helps identify unexpected or excessively long stops during a trip, enabling the platform to check in where appropriate. Riders’ phone numbers remain private when they call a driver through the app, and their address is not shared with the driver beyond what is needed to complete the trip.
“Safety is a shared responsibility, and technology is most effective when riders know the tools available to them and use them consistently,” added Kalajdzic. “We encourage every rider to check the driver and vehicle details in the app, use a pick-up code and share trip information with someone they trust.”
If a rider experiences harassment, assault, intimidation or another safety concern involving a driver, they can report the incident through the Bolt app. In an emergency, riders should contact the relevant emergency services or use the in-app Panic Button.
Reports of serious safety concerns are treated as a priority by Bolt’s Safety and Support teams. A trained member of Bolt’s Safety team will contact the rider to conduct a welfare check, provide support and explain the next steps in the process. The team remains in contact with the rider, where appropriate, to provide feedback as the case is assessed.
Bolt reviews and assesses all safety reports received through its platform. Depending on the nature and outcome of the investigation, action may include restricting, suspending or permanently blocking a driver’s access to the platform. Bolt also supports the South African Police Service on open cases and provides relevant information to law-enforcement authorities where legally required.
“Keeping the journey on the platform is critical,” said Kalajdzic. “It allows riders to access the safety tools in the app, gives us a record of the trip and enables our trained teams to provide support and follow up when it is needed.”
Bolt encourages all riders not to take trips outside the platform, where they lose access to trip tracking, safety features and support channels.
