If you don’t wear a mask on your next Uber ride, you may end up losing access.
Starting on Monday, May 18, Uber will begin requiring both riders and drivers to wear masks during their ride-hailing trips. To help enforce the policy, users found in violation can be reported to the company through the app.
“Now, we are adding new options for feedback, including having no face cover or mask,” Uber said in today’s announcement. “Drivers and riders who repeatedly violate mask policies risk losing access to Uber.”
Offenders will get served a suspension or a permanent ban, depending on the situation, the company told PCMag.
In addition, Uber is rolling out a new system to ensure drivers are wearing a mask before they can begin picking up passengers: through the Uber app, they’ll have to take a selfie of themselves donning a face covering.
(Credit: Uber.)
“After we verify the driver is covering their face, we’ll let the rider know via an in-app message,” the company said. “Unlike our 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.”
If the driver fails the mask-wearing test, Uber will deny them access to the ride-hailing app.
Riders, on the other hand, will only need to sign off on a safety checklist before they use the app. “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,” the company said. “We’re also reducing the maximum suggested number of passengers for an UberX ride to 3 from 4.”
In the event a driver shows up without a mask, Uber is encouraging riders to cancel the trip, and no penalty will be imposed.
Rival Lyft last week also instituted a similar policy, which requires both drivers and riders to wear face masks. Riders must also sign off on a safety checklist before using the app.
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