Boy's death prompts e-scooter selfie checks

Birmingham's new e-scooter supplier, Beryl, will use selfie checks to deter underage users

Facial recognition technology is to be introduced in a bid to stop underage users renting e-scooters in Birmingham.

Legally, users have to be 18 and have at least a provisional driving licence.

An inquest following the death of 12-year-old Mustafa Nadeem in December heard he had been riding an e-scooter unlocked by a friend using an under-16s bank account.

A contract with supplier Voi ended in February and new operator Beryl is expected to roll out its scheme "soon".

Beryl said it would use "random selfie checks" to verify users.

Mustafa had been riding on a pavement on 6 December and collided with a pedestrian before falling into the path of a bus.

His family called for facial recognition to restrict under-age use after he died, with his uncle, Anis Ali, saying it "could save lives".

Mustafa Nadeem died from multiple injuries after the e-scooter crash

A Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) spokesperson said Mustafa's death had been a key factor in choosing a new scooter supplier.

"We have listened to the evidence presented at the inquest into the tragic death of 12-year-old Mustafa Nadeem," they said.

"The issues raised have been taken into consideration in developing the new e-scooter trial and will continue to be reflected on as the scheme goes live."

School day

They added that Beryl had been selected because it had "additional safety and security measures".

The random selfie checks, which require a user to take a selfie while using the hire app, can be programmed to increase at certain times of the day.

This could include during the afternoon when the school day is ending and more children are likely to be out and about.

Voi's regional general manager, Jack Samler, admitted underage riders were "a concern" but said facial recognition would be "impractical from a cost perspective".

Voi had measures in place requiring users to upload selfies when they scanned their licence to ensure it was the same person, however Beryl's scheme will see verification repeated when accounts are moved as well as the random checks.

Mustafa's inquest acknowledged that Voi had not cut corners and had used similar practices to those used by other operators.

TfWM said it would be monitoring the latest scooter-hire scheme "closely to ensure they are maintaining high health and safety standards".