YOUR SECOND FIRST TRIP

For more than two months, Uber has been urging riders to stay home, for their safety and the safety of drivers who continue to make essential trips.

Now, as cities begin to reopen and people start moving again, Uber is proceeding with caution and safety top of mind.

GO ONLINE CHECKLIST AND MASK VERIFICATION

For Drivers: Before a driver or delivery person can go online, they will be asked to confirm, via a new Go Online Checklist, that they’ve taken certain safety measures and are wearing a mask or face cover.

Uber’s new technology will verify if the driver is wearing a mask by asking them to take a selfie. After we verify the driver is covering their face, we’ll let the rider know via an in-app message. (Unlike Uber Real-Time ID Check system, this technology detects the mask as an object in the photo, and does not process biometric information or compare mask selfies to driver photos in our database.)

In the United States, Canada, India and most of Europe and Latin America, drivers who are not wearing a mask or face cover will not be able to go online beginning next Monday, May 18, 2020. Uber will maintain this policy through the end of June, and then reassess based on local public health needs.

For Riders: Uber has also built a similar checklist for riders. Before every trip, riders must confirm that they’ve taken precautions like wearing a face cover and washing or sanitizing their hands. They must also agree to sit in the back seat and open windows for ventilation. We’re also reducing the maximum suggested number of passengers for an UberX ride to 3 from 4.

ACCOUNTABILITY AND ENFORCEMENT

If a driver shows up without a mask on, the rider can cancel the trip without penalty, too, and report the issue to us via the app.

Uber’s two-way feedback system has long helped ensure both riders and drivers uphold certain standards by requiring feedback on issues like vehicle quality, navigation, and speeding.

Now, Uber is adding new options for feedback including having no face cover or mask. Drivers and riders who repeatedly violate mask policies risk losing access to Uber.

SUPPLIES FOR RIDERS AND DRIVERS

As we all begin to move in this “new normal,” access to cleaning materials and protective equipment is critical. Uber has allocated $50 million to purchase supplies like masks, disinfectant sprays and wipes, hand sanitizer, and gloves. As of this week, Uber have secured more than 23 million masks for drivers and delivery people around the world.

Many of these items were shipped directly to the driver’s homes. In some countries where shipping is less accessible, Uber has provided reimbursements for cleaning supplies and protective equipment. Uber has also begun to hand out supplies in person at some of our Greenlight Hub locations globally.

Moving forward, Uber’ll continue to source and ship supplies to drivers and delivery people, doing our part to help make sure vehicles are cleaned regularly and riders have access to sanitizing supplies in the car.

Uber is also piloting new partnerships with world-class leaders in cleanliness. Working with Clorox in select cities in North America, we plan to distribute ridesharing-specific disinfecting tips and work to make more supplies available to drivers and riders in the car.

Reference: Uber Newsroom