Face masks and mandatory selfies for drivers: how Uber races are about to change

By
Rex Rose
Face masks and mandatory selfies for drivers: how Uber races are about to change

Starting on Monday, Uber drivers will have to take selfies in the app to verify that they are wearing a face mask or face cover before they can pick up passengers, the company announced Wednesday.

This is only part of an interactive checklist that drivers must complete each time they log in online to accept rides. Other requirements include confirmation that they have no symptoms, regularly disinfect their vehicle and wash their hands.

Cyclists will also need to confirm that they are wearing a mask or face cover before calling a car, but there is no selfie component. Instead, the company relies on pilots and pilots to make each other responsible.

“Things will look a little different for both pilots and pilots,” said CEO Dara Khosrowshahi at a press conference Wednesday, referring to the new Uber trial as “your first first trip.”

As parts of the United States begin to reopen on business, Uber (UBER) – like its rival Lyft and other travel companies – is taking new measures as it anticipates an increase in driving requests. Several airlines, whose core business has been seriously injured by the pandemic, have also said that passengers must wear masks. However, the application is difficult after boarding the plane.

“We have made several checks and balances because it is a shared responsibility,” said Uber security products chief Sachin Kansal in an interview with CNN Business this week. “If the driver approaches and the driver sees that the driver is not wearing a mask, he can cancel the trip. It is not necessary to get in the car.”

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The company said there will be no penalty for such cancellations.

After a lap, if a driver or pilot gives a low rating, for example, feedback will be requested, which includes a new tag: “no face mask or mask”. Kansal has said that the company will follow the pilots and pilots when this tag is selected.

“If we see repeated violations by the same person, whether it’s a pilot or a pilot, we could take further measures, including removing them from the platform,” said Kansal. He refused to go into details of how many violations could contribute to the removal.

Last week CNN Business reported for the first time that Uber executives had recently approved the new face cover policy and that it was due to be introduced soon in the United States and other countries. Uber said his policy will be effective in the United States, Canada, India, as well as in much of Europe and Latin America.
A few days after CNN’s commercial report, Lyft announced that they would soon require drivers and pilots to self-certify that they were taking some precautions, including wearing a face mask or face cover, before they could accept or request cyclists. It is not yet clear when the new policy will be implemented.

“We wanted to get something as fast as possible,” said Kansal, when asked why Uber isn’t introducing a similar technology-based application on the pilot side.

Uber has a mechanism for drivers, said Kansal, thanks to Real-Time ID Check, an in-app app characteristic which has been available for years and requires drivers to take selfies to compare biometric information to verify identity. That underlying infrastructure made implementing the new policy easier, he said, noting that the selfie mask doesn’t replace ID checking. In some cases, drivers will be asked to take a maskless selfie, followed by a mask selfie.
Uber, which no longer operates its “Uber Pool” rental service globally, also adds other precautions. On UberX, Uber’s standard service, it is reducing the number of people allowed in a vehicle, from four passengers to three hours. When cyclists confirm that they are wearing a mask, they will also see recommendations to avoid sitting in the front seat and opening the windows for ventilation, which is a guide to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. N, which is a guide of the Centers for disease control and prevention. (Lyft plans to implement similar precautions.)
In a blog post On Wednesday, Khosrowshahi said the new Covid-19 changes will be in effect until the end of June, and will therefore be revisited based on local conditions.

The company also said it had allocated $ 50 million to purchase supplies such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizers and driver sprays and disinfectant wipes.

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