CALL ME BACKJohannesburg, 4 April 2023 – Bolt, the leading on-demand mobility platform in Africa available in 23 cities across South Africa, has partnered with the Automobile Association (AA), the trusted safety champion of South African motorists and travellers for over 90 years, as its new emergency response services provider.
The AA’s emergency response services can be accessed through the SOS button located within the Bolt app’s Safety Toolkit. This feature will enable drivers and passengers to connect quickly and easily 24/7 to private armed response teams and private emergency medical rescue if they are involved in any medical or security emergency while on a Bolt ride, at no cost.
Willem Groenewald, CEO of the AA South Africa said, “Like Bolt, we seek to partner companies and organisations who share a commitment to the personal safety of their workforce, and the people they serve. We are delighted to be associated with an incredible brand such as Bolt and believe this collaboration will ensure not only enhanced driver safety but will also provide more peace-of-mind to passengers who can easily access emergency services from their phones if and when they need them.”
Takura Malaba, Regional Manager, East, and Southern Africa for Bolt said, “Our commitment to safety is unwavering, as evidenced by our ongoing investment in platform development and safety measures. We also work with like-minded partners to enhance safety on our platform, and as such we are delighted to partner with the AA, which has established a strong reputation as a leading provider of roadside emergency services in South Africa, boasting an extensive network of emergency responders throughout the country. Through this partnership, and availing the integrated SOS button, we aim to prioritise the safety of our driver and passenger community.”
How to access the SOS button when on a trip
- Open the Safety Toolkit
- Click on Emergency Help
- Click on Emergency SOS
- Confirm the Emergency by clicking on Continue
- The AA 24/7 call centre will be automatically notified of the distress signal
Important: Make sure your location is set in the settings page of your device so that your precise location can be determined.
Bolt is continuously developing safety features and tools that have a real impact on addressing the safety concerns of drivers and passengers. Most recently Bolt rolled out the driver selfie verification check feature which aims to combat driver impersonations and the renting of profiles by third parties who are not registered with Bolt. Other safety features available on the app include the ‘Share my ETA’ function where drivers and passengers can share their location with their trusted contacts.