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Bolt, the Estonian e-cab firm, has implemented a new safety feature that requires drivers to take a selfie before going online.

The ride-hailing company stated that this will help prevent driver impersonation and account sharing.

The selfie is compared to the driver’s profile photo to verify their identity.

This new feature is part of Bolt’s commitment to ensuring a safe and secure ride for its users.

Bolt has other safety measures, including driver and car verification, trip tracking, and an SOS emergency button for security or medical assistance.

Bolt also offers a Share ETA feature that enables riders to share their trip details with emergency contacts, as well as a women-only category that allows female passengers to request rides from female drivers, improving safety and mobility options.

Bolt and riders can rate each other after every trip, and Bolt takes these ratings seriously to address any incidents or unacceptable behaviour.

Bolt Country Manager, Linda Ndungu said Bolt aims to provide a safe rider mobility experience to all users on its platform.

“The safety of riders and drivers on our platform remains of utmost priority. This is why Bolt continues to innovate and provide superior safety features. Our mission revolves around offering affordable, quality, and safe services, and through this new driver selfie check feature, we aim to offer a safe rider mobility experience to all users on our platform. The new feature will discourage driver impersonation and continue to strengthen our mobility service by enhancing the safety of riders.”

Bolt’s mission revolves around offering affordable, quality, and safe services, and this new driver selfie check feature will enhance the safety of riders.

Bolt is one of the few taxi apps that have a wide reach in the Kenyan market. The company serves more than 17 towns and cities in the country and has invested over Sh67 billion in the African market, aiming to expand its offerings in Africa and create employment opportunities for more than 300,000 new drivers and couriers to join the platform by 2023.

The company’s food-delivery service, Bolt Food, recently expanded beyond Nairobi to Mombasa.