The world is paranoid. And understandably so. With the highly contagious COVID-19 still wrecking havoc globally, all care has to be taken to avoid further spread of the disease. At the same time, there is still movement here since some people’s daily activities require them to still move around.
So what happens when you want to take a cab for example, and you want to be at your safest? What happens to companies that fall under essential services like the transport? Innovate and improve services with utmost safety in mind.
Taxi hailing company Bolt for example has introduced a new ride-type in its platform which is meant to ensure the safety of both passengers and drivers as far as COVID-19 is concerned. Dubbed Bolt Protect, vehicles under this new category will be fitted with protective plastic film of nylon installed between the passenger and driver seats acting as a precautionary barrier that limits the airflows between the driver and passengers. This reduces the possibility of the virus spreading through droplets expelled by sneezes or coughs from an infected person.
This new ride-type also puts in place additional measures including proper ventilation of the cars throughout the trips as well as regular cleaning of the door handles and the backseat area after every completed trip.
At the moment, the Bolt Protect feature is only available customers in Nairobi, but with plans to rapidly expand to other towns where the taxi hailing app operates. Passengers are able to choose the new ride-type without any extra charges since the new category does not attract an additional base fare. The number of passengers in the new category is also limited to 2 – using the back seat cabin.
Bolt is providing drivers with a step by step guide on how to install the protective sheet, and instructing them on proper ventilation and cleaning of the cars.
“The safety and well-being of our passengers and drivers are always our highest priority. The protective setup of a new Bolt ride-type helps to reduce the risk of the virus spreading through coughs and sneezes. However, this is just one of the precautionary measures, and we strongly advise all our drivers and passengers to act responsibly and continue following the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation”, said Ola Akinnusi, Country Manager, Bolt Kenya.
Other Bolt services will still be available to customers at the same affordable rates across the seventeen locations across Kenya where Bolt currently operates.
