CityBee and Bolt Drive join forces to draw attention to the problem of account sharing

Car-sharing companies CityBee and Bolt Drive collaborate to combat a common problem and remind that it is illegal and unsafe for multiple riders to use the same user account. Such behavior not only endangers traffic safety but can also lead to significant fines.

Each person who sits behind the wheel of a shared vehicle must have their own user account. This is not just a formal requirement – ​​such rules are based on safety considerations so that the vehicle is not driven by minors, people without a driver’s license, or otherwise unsuitable persons. This is also necessary to avoid misunderstandings about the costs associated with shared car driving, as well as for other reasons.

Have you read the terms & conditions?

Not all car-sharing customers who share their accounts without permission are aware that it is illegal and what consequences it can cause, even if it is clearly stated in the Terms and Conditions. Regardless of whether it is malicious or accidental, situations where the same user profile is used by friends (30% of recorded cases), spouses (15%), family members (15%), as well as cases where the user account has been stolen or sold (10%), are unacceptable.

An exception where multiple users can use a single profile applies only for business customers. Companies that want to use car-sharing services are advised to create a business customer account rather than having multiple employees use a single individual profile.

Young people have paid the most in fines

Violation cases vary. For example, in one case a person under the influence whose driving license has already been revoked got stopped and detained by a police officer. Another time a stolen car crashed after driving 120km/h in a city – the account owner was not in a car. On a separate occasion an erratic driving car raised suspicion and was also stopped by a police crew. 

     Last year, more than 100 account sharing violations were recorded in Latvia. Young people who don’t even have a driver’s license yet tend to give in to the temptation to get behind the wheel of a car without permission. Most of the fines were paid by persons aged 18 to 25.

What is being done to prevent this from happening?

Car-sharing companies urge their clients and other traffic members to respect the rules and foster a safe driving environment.

“Our priority is the safety of all road users. Unfortunately, the problem of account sharing is particularly widespread in Latvia. To prevent it, we cooperate with the police – sometimes we participate in official raids. Also, given that most offences are committed by young people, this January we have decided that CityBee cars will be available to users aged 19 or over. However, we understand that fines will not solve the problem, so we hope that by educating people about the possible consequences, we can encourage them to think twice and not take illegal and unsafe actions” says Greta Januškaitė-Karvelienė, CEO of CityBee.

“Bolt’s top priority is ensuring the safety of both users and the public while improving mobility in the city, to help people transition from private cars to sustainable alternatives. To further reduce the risks of incidents and conflicts, Bolt will invest 100 million euros over three years in the development of new safety solutions. At the same time, I’d like to remind that the penalty system for using a family members or friends profile, or other persons documents, can lead up to a fine of up to 5,000 euros. To promote road safety, all parties involved must take responsibility,” says Edvīns Kažoks, Bolt Drive Latvia country manager. “Bolt Drive” service can only be used by persons over the age of 20, who have at least 1 year of driving experience and a valid driver’s license. 

Car-sharing companies are tackling the account sharing problem by both working with local and neighboring law enforcement agencies and improving their internal processes. For example, CityBee and Bolt Drive have specially created teams whose main task is to prevent and detect fraud. In addition, both companies continue to work on various technological solutions to enhance security aspects, and maintain zero tolerance for any kind of violations, including profile sharing.