Brussels hasn’t banned e-scooters as some other cities have, but it’s making it easier to know who’s weaving in and out of traffic or scaring pedestrians on the sidewalk by requiring e-scooter rental companies to add ID checks to their rental apps.
In addition to the safety issues, Brussels police officials also urged the ID because the scooters have become a popular and anonymous way for drug dealers to move their merchandise.
Two companies, Bolt and Dott, are authorized to operate in the Belgian capital; both also operate in other cities in Europe, but so far, Brussels is the only one implementing the ID checks, which will not apply to rental bicycles.
In the revised app, users scan an identity document such as a passport, driver license or ID card. Then, for each rental, a “selfie check” will require an on-the-spot picture which is compared in real time with the scanned image.
The app updates are in development and no date is set yet for implementation.
