Bolt: Failure to check license plates led to abduction of Ciku Muiruri's daughter
Bolt management blamed the victims for failing to check the details of the vehicle that picked them up to see if it matched the car they were matched with on the app.
Taxi-hailing company Bolt has once again been embroiled in controversy over the safety of its passengers.
This comes after investigations revealed that the two women rescued in Thika, one of whom is the daughter of media personality Ciku Muiruri, had ordered a taxi through Bolt's mobile application.
Ms Muiruri's daughter Erica Njeri, 26, and her friend Shanice Agose, 27, were rescued in Kiambu on Sunday after going missing on June 4 while attending a house party in Westlands, Nairobi.
In a statement on Tuesday, Bolt management said the victims did not check the details of the vehicle that picked them up to see if it was the same as the car they were matched with on the app.
"We strongly discourage the use of vehicles that do not match the details on the platform, as this was one of the issues that led to this unfortunate incident... Drivers are encouraged to confirm that the driver and vehicle registration details match those on the app at the time of collection," reads part of the statement.
In addition, the company has stated that its driver and rider apps also have an SOS emergency button that can be used at any time during an active trip to alert and request security and/or emergency medical assistance.
Following the issues that have arisen, the company has encouraged its customers to confirm that the driver and vehicle registration details match those on the app at the time of collection.
Now, the company says the driver who picked up the two women had falsified his information.
"We immediately block drivers who engage in this behavior. We have also introduced a driver selfie check feature on the platform to enhance safety and prevent driver impersonation and account sharing," the company added.
During the rescue operation in Thika, several crude weapons and fake number plates were recovered from the suspects.
On Monday, detectives from Nairobi, assisted by their counterparts from Thika Police Station in Kiambu, announced that they had made a breakthrough in the abduction saga.
The kidnappers initially demanded Sh1 million for the release of the two women, but reduced it to Sh500,000 with each paying Sh250,000, a detective who was part of the team that tracked them down told the Nation on Monday.
