Uber to make face masks mandatory for all from Monday
Uber has announced that it will be mandatory for all of its passengers and drivers to wear face masks from 15 June.
The measures, which are in line with new public health rules over public transport use, will initially apply to London before a wider rollout across the UK.
As part of the initiative, which comes into effect on Monday, both passengers and drivers will be able to cancel a trip without penalty if the other party is not wearing a mask.
In London, before drivers go online they will be asked to take a selfie to verify they are wearing a face covering using new object recognition technology.
Any driver who is not wearing a face covering will not be able to go online.
Drivers will also be asked to confirm they’ve taken additional safety measures such as regularly sanitising their car and washing their hands.
Jamie Heywood, Regional General Manager for Northern and Eastern Europe, Uber, said: “For months we’ve been urging people to stay home, for their safety and the safety of drivers who make essential trips.
“Now, as cities begin to reopen and people start moving again, we’re taking measures to help everyone stay safe and healthy every time they use Uber”.
He added that Uber would supply its drivers with the necessary PPE.
The face mask plan is the latest of a series of measures Uber has put in place to protect customers and drivers from coronavirus risks.
In May, the ride-hailing firm began trialling cars with plastic partitions in Newcastle, equipping 400 vehicles with the dividers.
It has also distributed more than 1.6m masks to drivers and couriers in the UK, as well as 54,000 units of cleaning spray and hand sanitisers.