Uber to require drivers, riders wear masks

Uber will begin requiring that passengers and drivers wear face masks during the coronavirus pandemic, a decision company executives approved in a meeting over the past week, CNN Business first reported.

The requirement will be rolled out in the weeks ahead, according to the network, citing a person familiar with the matter. The ride-hailing company is also currently developing technology that will detect compliance, building on the facial verification used by its ID-check feature to confirm driver identities.

“As countries reopen, Uber is focused on safety and proceeding with caution,” head of safety communications Andrew Hasbun told the network in a statement. “Today, we continue to ask riders to stay home if they can, while shipping safety supplies to drivers who are providing essential trips. At the same time, our teams are preparing for the next phase of recovery, where we will all have a role to play.”

The company and its primary competitor, Lyft, are both set to report earnings this week. Uber derived about 81 percent of adjusted net revenue from rides in the fourth quarter of 2019, compared to 11 percent from UberEats.

Uber previously said in April that it has begun shipping masks and disinfectant spray to delivery workers and drivers.

In May, it said it would buy and ship tens of millions of masks to its workers around the world, but warned the process may take time due to limited supplies.

In the U.S. the ride-share company said drivers in cities and states with face-covering requirements will take priority.

“We’ll communicate updates directly to users when ready, but in the meantime we continue to urge all riders and drivers to wear masks or face coverings when using Uber,” Hasbun added.

Robyn Gershon, a New York University epidemiology professor, told CNN Business that vehicles are the type of close quarters where it is easy for the virus to spread and “absolutely positively everyone should be wearing a mask” during Uber rides. She said she “really likes the idea” of plastic partitions in vehicles, which some companies, such as Chinese ride-sharing company Didi Chuxing, have explored.