The Consumer Rights Protection Centre (PTAC) has imposed a 10,000 euro fine on e-bike sharing operator Ride Mobility (“Ride”) for failing to comply with a PTAC order issued on the 2nd of Ocotber, which required the company to suspend its unsafe service until further notice, the centre announced.
At the same time, PTAC noted that Ride has since taken corrective action, introducing a user identity and age verification system, which was officially approved by PTAC on the 24th of October.
According to the centre, the verification process now includes document scanning, comparison with a live selfie, and age confirmation based on the date of birth stated in the user’s ID, implemented in cooperation with a digital verification provider.
PTAC Director Zaiga Liepiņa stated that the main safety risk has now been resolved, as the service is no longer easily accessible to minors. She also called on other micromobility rental providers to implement reliable age verification tools as soon as possible — a process PTAC will continue to monitor closely.
Meanwhile,
the European Commission is currently developing an EU-wide age verification app.
The project is now in its second stage, allowing member states to meet with developers and begin adapting the tool to national requirements.
PTAC emphasized that Latvia currently lacks proper age verification mechanisms for access to digital services and content. A simple self-declaration checkbox confirming whether a user is over 18 cannot be considered sufficient. The EU-wide app is expected to address many of the problems linked to minors accessing inappropriate online content or services, and Latvia’s authorities are urged to actively work toward acquiring and deploying this tool to protect children and young people online.
PTAC reminded all service providers that they are legally obliged to regularly assess the safety of their services, particularly for vulnerable consumer groups, and to ensure compliance with applicable laws, including upcoming amendments to the Road Traffic Law.
As previously reported, PTAC on the 24th of October approved Ride’s new age verification mechanism, allowing the company to resume operations. Ride’s CEO Edgars Jākobsons told the LETA news agency that the company had already introduced additional safety measures from the 20th of October to prevent underage users from accessing its e-bikes.
Earlier in October, however,
PTAC had ordered Ride to suspend services following a tragic accident
in which two underage girls were killed while crossing a railway track on a rented self-propelled bicycle. The centre’s suspension order stated that services could only resume after proof of an effective age verification system was provided.
Although Ride submitted a letter on the 20th of October describing its new verification tools, PTAC found the information insufficient at first and requested further clarification before giving final approval.
Jākobsons previously told LETA that the company saw no reason to suspend its services, as age verification measures were already in place and had been coordinated with PTAC. Nonetheless, the agency concluded that Ride continued offering services in early October despite being explicitly instructed to halt operations, resulting in the €10,000 fine.
PTAC has also launched an evaluation of all micromobility apps offering shared scooters and e-bikes in Latvia.
According to Firmas.lv, SIA Ride was founded in 2019 with a share capital of €2,800 and is wholly owned by Edgars Jākobsons. In 2024, the company reported a turnover of €1.156 million and a profit of €236,246. Jākobsons also ran as a candidate for Mārupe Municipality in the New Unity party list earlier this year.
Read also: Consumer rights authority to fine “Ride Mobility” for failing to suspend operations after death of two girls in Imanta