Uber CEO sees ‘signs of life’ after ridership plummeted 80% in April - MarketWatch

We are seeing business improve from those April lows.”.

And he admitted that drivers and riders alike probably won’t feel fully comfortable being confined in a close space together again until a vaccine or some other COVID-19 breakthrough is reached.

“Getting out of the house, starting to move again is gonna feel funny, and it may feel unsafe, and we are doing our part to make it as safe as possible,” he said, adding that Uber has redesigned its ride-hailing experience “from top to bottom with safety in mind.”.

Both riders and drivers will be required to wear masks during each Uber trip, and drivers will need to send in a selfie showing their face is covered before accepting rides.

If the Uber app does not detect that they’re wearing a face mask or other covering, they will not be allowed to accept a trip.

What’s more, the Uber app will also prompt passengers to confirm they are covering their face, and both passengers and drivers are allowed to cancel rides without penalty if either party does not comply.

“It’s a two-way street,” said Khosrowshahi, noting that the company has spent “millions” on personal protective equipment to secure and deliver 23 million masks to drivers.

Lyft has also announced that its drivers and riders will be required to “self-certify” that they will wear face masks throughout the ride, and that they are free of any COVID-19 symptoms

“[People] are gonna be more careful, they are gonna wear masks, we’re gonna have cleaning supplies, so certain things are gonna change.”

When asked about Uber’s future in the long-term after the pandemic, Khosrowshahi said the company is more focused on the “short-term into tomorrow,” right now, and creating the safest experience it can

“But I do think that business is gonna come back