Bolt, the ride-hailing service available in more than 35 South African towns and cities, has partnered with PinkDrive NPC, a community-based health care NGO, to get its health care workers to COVID-19 vaccination sites safely and efficiently.
PinkDrive, has been making the health of vulnerable South Africans a priority since 2009, provides trained vaccinators to public sector vaccination sites in Gauteng, the Western Cape, and KwaZulu Natal, creating work opportunities for nurses who may otherwise not be employed.
“Many of the primary health care workers that are key to the success of South Africa’s COVID-19 immunisation drive depend on public transport to get them to vaccination sites – some of which are not on main minibus taxi routes,” says Noelene Kotschan, CEO and founder of PinkDrive. “This means that they incur extra costs in getting to work each day, and we identified the opportunity to collaborate with Bolt to get these vaccinating heroes to work, door to door, more cost effectively.”
Making sure that healthcare workers are able to get to vaccination sites is more important than ever, now that South Africa’s vaccination programme is open to anyone over the age of 18 that is registered on the country’s vaccination portal.
“With so many health care workers being women, we’re proud to say that many of them have opted to use the Bolt Women Only service, which connects women passengers with women drivers,” says Gareth Taylor, Regional Manager for Bolt in Southern Africa. “Bolt welcomes the opportunity to work with PinkDrive in making it possible for health care workers to get to work, to add impetus to the country’s vaccination drive.”
Travelling to and from a vaccination site using a ride hailed on Bolt is a great alternative to public transport, as passengers can hail a ride when they’re ready to go – there’s no waiting for public transport to be available, and the ride will come and collect passengers wherever they are and will take them exactly to where they need to be.
Bolt drivers also pay particular attention to keeping their vehicles clean and sanitized after each ride, so passengers can be assured of their safety until the full effects of their vaccine are in place.
