Global mobility platform Bolt on Thursday announced the launch of its ‘Women for Women’ service in Brussels. The formula gives female users the option to book a taxi ride with female drivers, while female drivers can accept only female passengers.
Users must book their ride at least 30 minutes in advance to ensure a match with a female driver, as the number of female drivers in Brussels is still limited. Bolt is deliberately opting for a gradual rollout: starting with planned rides to ensure a more reliable service level from day one.
Identity and gender verification
‘Women for Women’ operates on the principle of identity and gender verification, thereby enhancing the reliability of this option for both passengers and drivers. Users take a selfie with their phone and upload an identity document (ID card, passport, or driver’s license), which is compared with the selfie and which also verifies gender.
Bolt sees the service not only as a service for women but also as an initiative to feminize the driving profession. Globally, ‘Women for Women’ has already contributed to a more than 45% increase in the number of female drivers.
In France, since its launch last year, the number of female drivers has increased by 95% (compared to +10% for male drivers), and the category is growing by around 40% per month.
Peace of mind
“The ‘Women for Women’ category addresses a very specific need: allowing women to travel with greater peace of mind, while simultaneously enhancing the safety and sense of security of female drivers.” Bolt intends to expand this offering in the long term, get more women behind the wheel, and create a positive spiral that benefits the entire community.
The launch of ‘Women for Women’ aligns with Bolt’s ongoing commitment to enhancing safety on its platform. In Belgium, Bolt recently launched an initiative in partnership with Driver Technologies Inc. to facilitate the widespread adoption of video security solutions (dash cams), to enhance the feeling of safety during rides for both passengers and drivers.
Bolt has over 200 million users in more than 50 countries across Europe and Africa. The company aims to accelerate the shift from private cars to shared mobility by offering better alternatives for every use case.
