Rideshare operator Ola will introduce new "mask selfie" facial recognition measures to ensure its drivers wear masks in line with New Zealand's Covid-19 Alert Level 2 rules.
The Government has announced that face coverings are now mandatory on public transport networks - as well as in taxis or rideshares like Ola, Uber and Zoomy - from Level 2 and above.
From September onwards, Ola will be introducing facial recognition software which requires driver to regularly take a selfie of themselves wearing a mask.
"Drivers are prompted to periodically take a real-time selfie with their mask on before being able to accept further rides," a spokesperson said.
"The selfie is then digitally analysed to detect if the driver is wearing a mask and confirm they are a registered driver in the system."
The measure will have another purpose - cracking down on drivers sharing their account with other people.
Brian Dewil, Ola New Zealand's managing director, said "our selfie authentication technology will allow us to regularly check up on our drivers and prevent those who are using the platform incorrectly from taking rides.
"We are committed to raising the industry benchmark for rideshare in New Zealand, which is more important than ever in the current environment."
Uber rolled out mandatory face coverings for both drivers and passengers earlier this month, with riders given the right to cancel a trip if the driver arrives without a mask, and the driver also entitled to cancel if a passenger refuses to wear one.
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