Bolt says it is unable to confirm how many active vehicles have received the required branding because provincial regulatory entities (PREs) have not yet issued the template.

The update comes nearly a year after a Douglasdale workshop, hosted by Bolt on October 9, 2025, where e-hailing operators and authorities discussed the new regulations. Bolt spokesperson Simo Kalajdzic said the company and driver/partners were ready to comply once the guidance became available.

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Kalajdzic said one of the biggest challenges was the uneven rollout of operating-licence application processes across provinces. He said this included limited availability of operating-licence applications, enforcement risks while channels were being established, and the need to educate drivers about licensing. Bolt also found that some drivers submitted incorrect documents, making it more difficult to ensure compliance ahead of enforcement.

There had, however, been progress. Kalajdzic said Bolt had successfully run an operating-licence bulk-submission pilot in Gauteng and was progressing with applications following the opening of the province’s application process. Applications had also started opening in other areas, including the Western Cape, while Bolt was working with PREs to develop bulk-submission processes.

On safety requirements, such as panic buttons, Kalajdzic said Bolt supported measures aimed at strengthening safety for drivers and riders. According to Bolt’s August data, there had been a year-on-year decline in its top 10 safety-event categories, but Kalajdzic cautioned against directly attributing the decline to the new regulations because rollout and issuance remained at an early stage.

He attributed the improvement more closely to Bolt’s own safety measures, including mandatory rider verification and stronger rider screening.

Muzi Simelane, director of public transport policy, legislation and planning co-ordination at the national department of transport (NDoT), confirmed that the department was also dealing with compliance challenges, including delays in processing operating licences. He said the slow processing had created difficulties because law enforcement officers continued impounding vehicles despite some operators having applications in progress.

Simelane described the processing of application licences as very slow. He said he had communicated with provincial authorities about ensuring that clean operators were not unnecessarily targeted while waiting for their licences to be processed.

Also read: Mixed reactions as e-hailing services gain legal recognition

Simelane also stressed the importance of visible markings on e-hailing vehicles, saying these would allow passengers and law enforcement officers to distinguish them. “We have had drivers who complain about the installation of panic buttons being expensive. The law is the law and this must also be adhered to,” Simelane said.

He said clearer identification could help address concerns around e-hailing vehicles entering taxi-rank spaces and prevent conflict.

Kalajdzic said Bolt welcomed the regulations as an important step towards a consistent and level playing field in the e-hailing sector, but said implementation had been slower than anticipated.

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