Uber makes face coverings mandatory for all UK passengers and drivers

Uber drivers and passengers must wear face coverings across the UK from Monday
PA

Uber has announced that all drivers and passengers must wear face coverings in the UK from Monday.

The popular minicab app firm said it was taking the new measures to ensure customers "stay safe and healthy" when they use Uber.

Uber’s policy is in line with the Government’s decision to make face coverings mandatory for public transport users in England from June 15.

Drivers in London will be required to submit a photograph of themselves to verify they are following the new rule before they can begin working.

Passengers and drivers will be allowed to cancel a trip without financial penalty if the other party is not wearing a face covering.

Drivers will also be asked to confirm they have taken additional safety measures such as regularly sanitising their car and washing their hands.

Jamie Heywood, Uber’s regional general manager for northern and eastern Europe, 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.

“We’ve introduced measures to ensure that every driver can access the PPE (personal protective equipment) they need for free to help keep them safe when driving with Uber, and from Monday, we will require anyone using the Uber app in the UK to wear a face covering.”

The requirement for drivers to provide proof they are wearing a face covering could be extended from London to include the whole of the UK, Uber said.

Other safety and hygiene measures introduced by the firm include trialling in-car partition screens in Newcastle, distributing more than two million masks to drivers and couriers, and sending 54,000 units of cleaning spray and hand sanitiser to drivers.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in