Nura Kemis 
Dimmy Kanyankole, Bolt General Manager for Kenya and Tanzania has said that Offline Bolt trips (offApp)in Kenya reduced sharply by 46% in the last six months, signaling increased adoption of in-app safety features and a move towards a safer ride-hailing culture.
Bolt launched a series of new safety features to help protect drivers and passengers.
Kanyankole said the decrease was due to a mix of aggressive enforcement, such as more frequent, proactive detection and action against offline activity and safety features designed to discourage off-platform transactions.
“The practice avoids in-app safety measures such as GPS tracking, identification of both riders and drivers, and emergency support.
This reduction in offline trips indicates a significant change towards safer, more responsible ride-hailing practices in the market,” said Kanyankole.
He said that this is a reflection of the impact of their efforts behind the scenes to keep passengers and drivers safe and to maintain the integrity of each trip on their platform.
Bolt has introduced measures to implement this change, including a zero-tolerance policy for off-app trip violations, real-time in-ride monitoring, and an automated system that detects suspicious activity.
The company has also increased driver training programs and launched education campaigns to warn drivers and passengers about the risks of taking trips outside the app.
Kanyankole expounded that offline trips are an issue across the ride-hailing industry, particularly due to the safety risks they present when trips aren’t monitored, verified, or protected by platform policies.
“Safety is not a feature, it’s a culture we’re building across the platform, trip by trip,” said Kanyankole adding that,
“Although we are proud of this progress, we recognize that there is more to be done. We will continue to work with industry stakeholders, regulators, and the public to enhance safety standards across the board.”
Bolt Kenya stated that it is recommitting to its vision of establishing a safe and reliable transportation network in Kenya by reducing the occurrence of such trips.
