96% feel safer with e-hailing safety tools, but SOS feature lags behind
Emergency tools are designed for rare, high-pressure situations.
A recent Ipsos survey reveals that 96% of ride-hailing users in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, and Pretoria feel safer using e-hailing services, thanks to in-app safety tools. However, the Emergency/SOS button ranks at the bottom of users' preferred features, with only 42% selecting it over real-time GPS tracking (66%) and live trip sharing (64%).
Simo Kalajdzic, Senior Operations Manager at Bolt South Africa, explains that emergency tools are crafted for rare, high-pressure scenarios; being aware of their location before needing them is crucial. To address this awareness gap, Bolt conducted the Ipsos Ride-Hailing Safety Index, a survey of 250 active users in major South African cities.
According to the survey, 77% consider e-hailing safer than alternative transport options, and 92% feel safer using it at night. Kalajdzic emphasizes that Emergency Assist, Bolt's in-app emergency feature, is meant for genuine emergencies like road accidents, medical issues, or threats to personal safety. Users are advised to familiarise themselves with the Safety Toolkit, confirm driver and vehicle details in the app, keep their phones charged, and share live trips with trusted contacts when necessary.
Kalajdzic stresses that emergency tools are less familiar because people rarely need them, highlighting that taking a minute to locate Emergency Assist before a trip could significantly impact outcomes during critical moments. The survey also underscores the importance of collaboration across the transport ecosystem to ensure shared safety and service frameworks.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
