OPINIONISTA: Taxify: New name, same safety risks By Luke Jordan
A couple of weeks ago the app known as Taxify changed its name to “Bolt”. The PR spin said this was about diversifying into scooters, or electric cars, or similar. What seems to remain constant though is the app’s less-than-reassuring safety features.
I took a Taxify ride. During that ride, I believe I left my keys in the car. This is, of course, my fault, but the point is what happened afterwards. I finished the trip at 11am, and realised by 2pm that the keys were gone – within three hours. I immediately tried to call the driver using the phone number he had registered on Taxify.
The support service then stated they also could not contact the driver. I pointed out that if Taxify cannot trace or contact a driver that is a massive safety risk. They provided no answer. I continued to ask, and received only one further update, on Thursday. The response was “we will use other means to get hold of the driver”.
It seems therefore undeniable that Taxify/Bolt does not have the ability to reliably track its drivers. Drivers can disappear and become unreachable, within two hours of a ride. It also does not have the ability to spot or escalate issues to do with tracking or tracing drivers.
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