Bolt Limits Working Hours to Boost Safety

Bolt Uganda now limits drivers to work for a maximum of 12 hours. The move, which was introduced this month, is to help drivers get more resting time so they resume with a sharp mind to drive.

The Estonia-based riding hailing firm says this will also create more time for family, recreation, and side endeavors like entrepreneurship.

"Bolt strongly supports driver safety and believes in leveraging technology to develop ways of working that make transportation safer. You’ll need to be offline for 6 hours before your driving hour timer is reset and you can start driving again," Moses Mugerwa, the Bolt Uganda Operations Manager, said.

The manager said the restrictions, which are already operating in some countries the company operates in, are to prevent accidents caused by drowsy driving.

According to traffic police records for the last four years, at least 2,634 pedestrians and cyclists are killed on Ugandan roads each year. An examination of road fatalities between 2016 and 2019 reveals that 10,537 pedestrians and riders were killed on city streets, highways, and village roads. Driver fatigue is listed as a leading cause of these accidents.

“The app helps you to keep track of your time and make roads safer for both drivers and riders. They based this feature on expert guidelines that show that driving for long periods of time without taking a break increases the risk of an accident on the road,” Mugerwa said.

Due to Covid-19 guidelines, Boda Bodas using the Bolt app stop work at 6pm and cars end at 7pm.