Bolt bans 6 000 drivers over 6 months for 'misconduct'

Ride-hailing platform Bolt is cracking down on its drivers over safety and compliance concerns.

It has blocked 6 000 drivers in South Africa over the last six months for 'misconduct'.

In a statement to TechCabal, Bolt said it 'will continue to permanently block drivers and riders who have been reported for misconduct from accessing the platform'.

Last month, a Bolt driver was reported to have stabbed two female passengers in Table View, Cape Town, after a dispute.

John Perlman gets some input from Siyabonga Hlabisa, chairperson of the Western Cape E-hailing Association (WCEA).

WC E-hailing Association calls on Bolt to take responsibility for driver allegedly stabbing 2 passengers

A major challenge the industry faces is the legitimacy of documents presented by aspirant e-hailing drivers.

Hlabisa says most of the app companies now seem to be putting systems in place enabling them to identify whether a document is fake or not.

In response to a listener's question, he also expresses concern around equal treatment for both driver and rider when it comes to any misconduct.

"In this case, we've been emphasizing that they need to look at both sides... and also the seriousness of the matter, especially if there's a conflict that happened between the two."

"We also want panels set up that can ensure proper investigation, because we don't want our drivers to be blocked without this."

Siyabonga Hlabisa, Chair - Western Cape E-hailing Association

They want proof that Bolt did take measures to make sure proper investigation was done into the cases of the thousands of drivers they blocked, Hlabisa says.