Bolt Guarantees Zero Penalties Policy for Drivers Who Turn Down Safety-Flagged Trips

Bolt has confirmed that drivers who decline trips flagged as high-risk will face no penalties, suspensions, or rating reductions.

This comes after the company introduced an enhanced in-app safety feature that allows drivers to flag locations they perceive as high-risk.

In a press statement dated February 24, Bolt revealed that the launched platform will review and verify these submissions before proactively mapping the areas within the app.

“Bolt, the leading on-demand mobility platform, has today announced the rollout of an enhanced driver safety feature that empowers drivers to flag locations they perceive as high-risk, enabling the platform to review, verify and proactively map these areas within the app,” the statement read in part.

How the New Bolt Safety Feature Works

In the statement, Bolt said that under the new system, drivers can suggest locations where they have experienced or anticipate safety concerns.

The company stated that each submission is reviewed by its safety team using aggregated trip data, historical safety reports, and platform risk indicators before any area is mapped.

Once a location is verified, drivers will receive a clear in-app notification when a trip request involves a mapped high-risk destination.

Further, it stressed that drivers who decline such trips will not face penalties, temporary suspensions, or rating reductions.

“Critically, drivers who choose to decline such trips will not face penalties, temporary suspensions or rating reductions,” the statement read.

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New Safety Feature to Empower Drivers Without Penalising Them

Bolt has stated that safety remains central to its operations as it rolls out the new feature, allowing drivers to flag high-risk locations.

Dimmy Kanyankole, Bolt Senior General Manager in the East Africa region, said the company’s driver partners are the backbone of the platform and that the enhancement is designed to give them greater awareness and confidence when making trip decisions.

“Safety is at the core of our business. Our driver partners are the backbone of our platform, and this enhancement gives them greater awareness and the confidence to make informed decisions without fear of penalties,” he said.

Bolt emphasised that the system is grounded solely in safety data and verified driver-reported incidents.

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How Risky Locations Are Determined

“Locations are not automatically labelled based on a single report. Each submission undergoes a structured, data-backed review before being mapped,” it said.

Additionally, the company added that the feature does not block riders from requesting trips or drivers from accepting them but instead serves as an advisory tool to enhance awareness while preserving access.

Kanyankole further stated that the initiative is focused on risk mitigation rather than exclusion, stressing that neighbourhoods or communities are not being labelled, and that decisions are guided solely by verified safety signals and platform data.

“We are not labelling neighbourhoods or communities. We are responding to specific safety signals shared by drivers and supported by platform data,” he said.

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