In the latest development, Onfido, an identity verification, and authentication company have partnered with Voi Technology, the e-scooter operator to verify the identity and age of new riders during the onboarding process.
Document verification check
With Onfido’s technology, Voi riders can sign-up in a minute by taking a photo of their driving license. Currently, Onfido completes the document verification check.
However, the regtech startup is working with Voi to develop additional ID verification methods to ensure the person presenting the identity is the legitimate owner of the driving license and is physically present.
Fredrik Hjelm, co-founder, and CEO of Voi Technology said: “Safety is paramount to everything we do at Voi, and one aspect of this is the correct identification of riders. Our strategic partnership with Onfido is critical to ensure that people are riding Voi scooters appropriately. We’re looking forward to taking this fast and simple process one step further to guarantee the legitimate owner is the one making a journey. Voi is committed to offering an alternative, safe and sustainable mode of transport to transform the way we move around cities, and our partnership with the leading online identity verification tech company Onfido is essential to that mission.”
Aims to reduce the risk of impersonation
This move from the e-scooter comes in an attempt to reduce the risk of impersonation amongst its riders. Both Onfido and Voi have been working closely for several months, as Voi tendered with councils across the country to provide rental e-scooters.
According to Voi, riders are required to hold a valid driving licence during the initial trials, and this partnership with Onfido meets the requirement. It’s worth mentioning that Voi was one of the only operators to incorporate document verification checks in their demo application, which was presented to the UK council leaders during the tender process.
“We’re pleased to be partnering with Voi Scooters to introduce digital identity verification to confirm their riders’ eligibility and support their tenders for UK e-scooter trials,” said Kevin Trilli, Chief Product Officer of Onfido. “The ability for e-scooter riders to securely verify their identities is not only important for providing access to the service but in guaranteeing the future of e-scooters in Britain’s micro-mobility sector by preventing the service from being exploited and misused by those that are not eligible during these important trials.”
Several safety precautions
Voi has implemented other safety technologies including geofencing, the launch of an online safety school to teach riders how to ride the scooters responsibly, and more. Furthermore, Voi also has ambassadors on city streets to educate riders and ensure the scooters are correctly parked, operating in close collaboration with the local police to enforce appropriate behaviour.
Right now, Voi trail runs in the West Midlands, Cambridge, Northampton, Liverpool, Bath, and Bristol.