BlaBlaCar introduces government ID verification for better safety

France-headquartered ride-sharing platform BlaBlaCar, which entered the Indian market last year, has announced that it would now verify the government IDs for all its members, so that it can improve the safety and security for its rides.

Out of the 22 countries in which the company operates, India is the first market to have such feature introduced for verification of its riders, which was brought in a few weeks ago, based on member feedback.

"India is the first country where we have begun verification of government ID documents, such as the Aadhar card," Raghav Gupta, BlaBlaCar’s India country manager, told ET. "We took the decision after our members suggested it. The idea is to create a trusted community."

The verification would be a two-step process wherein the company would be verifying the scanned document that users would upload, and the details will be matched with government database using API integration. Verified member profiles will also boost the member's profile, so that they get more requests for individuals looking to travel on the same route as them.

As of now, BlaBlaCar is not making any money in India, but is looking to monetise by the first half of 2017, for which it would charge commissions from co-travellers for the rides.

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