RideSafe will integrate UTU’s trust infrastructure into their mobile application for emergency response for the two-wheel taxi sector.

We are excited to announce a partnership with RideSafe to integrate our trust infrastructure into their emergency response mobile application!

What is RideSafe?

RideSafe is a blockchain-based application that offers real-time emergency response solutions for the two-wheel taxi sector in Africa. The company provides riders with access to quick, affordable, and quality first aid in case of an accident.

RideSafe allows riders to contribute up to 38 shillings ($0.38) each week that they can put toward a $30 payment for first aid if they get into an accident. Leveraging the Aeternity blockchain, these payments are converted to cryptocurrency tokens and held in escrow until quality care has been delivered by a first responder; only then are the payments released.

Additionally, the app rewards its users who practice proper riding behavior, such as wearing helmets.

How RideSafe will integrate UTU

Service marketplaces like RideSafe rely heavily on trust between their members.

Riders need to have confidence that first responders will provide quality care, while first responders need to trust that riders will pay fees once this care is administered.

With UTU’s trust infrastructure integrated into RideSafe, users will be able to access more information about each other’s behaviors and interactions. For example:

  1. Riders will be able to see other riders’ ratings and reviews of first responders based on the quality of care provided.
  2. First responders and healthcare providers will be able to see which riders were serviced by whom, their frequency of payment, their reviews, and more.

Because all of these ratings and data will live on the UTU protocol, they cannot be manipulated nor gamed.

This will help build a higher level of trust among the community and lead to better outcomes for both riders and healthcare providers in case of an accident.

“It’s a tremendous honor for UTU to join forces with RideSafe Africa to bring better trust to all aspects of the notoriously risky motorcycle taxi sector, which underlies a massive portion of the Kenyan mobility market for people and goods, not to mention across other African markets. Motorcycle riders are tremendously exposed by the work they do with insufficient protections in place to ensure riders can access safe, trusted emergency services when they are needed. It’s exciting for UTU to play a meaningful role in supporting RideSafe to save lives, and for me personally as a motorcyclist, to contribute to better trust and safety for fellow riders at a price that’s within reach for all.”

– UTU’s CEO Jason Eisen

“We are excited to partner with a stellar product like UTU. With their trust engine, we will be able to provide the much needed trust in our processes and between the different users on our platform. The confidence of knowing that all the users on the platform can believe in the ratings and be able to pay for or deliver a service without hesitation or doubt of whether they will get quality service or compensated just puts a smile on our face. We are looking forward to seeing this partnership grow to even greater heights.”

– Benson Mugisha, CEO and Founder of RideSafe

About RideSafe

RideSafe has built a platform that allows two-wheel taxi drivers to access quick and affordable emergency response services when involved in an accident. In Kenya alone, there are over 1.5M two-wheel taxi drivers with low barriers to entry. The numbers are only going up but no regulations are set to curb reckless driving, with over 60% of road accidents being motorcycle-related. RideSafe is jumping in to ensure that in this critical time the driver’s life is saved through reduced intervention time and financial solutions to enable swift payment for care. RideSafe is looking to expand regionally and to both west and central Africa, where the two-wheel taxi business is also growing rapidly. Check us out on our website – www.ridesafeafrica.com – and Facebook @RideSafeAfrica.

About UTU

UTU’s vision is to become the trust infrastructure of the entire internet, replacing anonymous star ratings, reviews, and scores as the de facto trust mechanisms of our digital lives. We do this in service of our mission — to bridge the gap between how we trust in real life and how we are asked to trust online — to make the internet a safer, more trusted place to gather, share, work, and trade. We are proudly based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Learn more about us on our website, Twitter, and Telegram.