Cab-hailing services firm, Bolt has now begun rechecking the background and details of its new drivers. Bolt revealed that this is being done in collaboration with the Directorate of Criminal investigations (DCI).

This move is meant to boost the safety of customers and ensure access to the mobile app for the drivers.

This is a little different from what most hailing companies in the country. This is beacuse they carry out their own vetting procedures for the drivers before signing them to their platforms.

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Drivers will now be required to present documents such as a valid driver’s licence and a police clearance certificate (certificate of good conduct) to prove a clean criminal record. Other documents include vehicle registration and proof of insurance.

According to Bolt, those with a criminal past ill have their accounts with the company blocked.

The company has been trying to ensure its customer’s safety with features like Share your ETA. This allows a passenger to share their lie trip details with their emergency contact numbers just in case anything goes wrong.

“To further bolster ride safety, Bolt has also strengthened its drivers screening processes and is closely monitoring drivers for criminal offences in real-time, conducting a periodic inspection of their vehicles and also providing them with safety training on how to recognise, avoid, or calm potentially violent situations,” Bolt country manager Ola Akinnusi said.

Bolt app’s SOS emergency button has also been upgraded and embedded with an emergency tracking device and auto location trailing feature for security purposes. This upgrade is targeted at improving the safety of the drivers as well throughout the trip.

The app also now has a single-tap booking and cancelling feature. Its 24/7 in-app customer support services have also been re-enforced in order to improve customer experience.

“We’ve up-scaled our safety features and policies guidelines on our platform that are easily accessible from the app’s home screen such as the driver and rider SOS button, giving drivers and riders a quick way to contact first responders in the event that something goes wrong during a Bolt trip,” Mr Akinnusi added.