Uber, Ola cap cab passengers at two

GURUGRAM: Aggregators Uber and Ola have capped passengers in their cabs at two, both only in the rear seat. Uber will also give riders and drivers the option of cancelling a ride without a penalty if they are not comfortable about its safety aspect — like the passenger or driver not wearing a mask. Ola, meanwhile, will keep the AC in its cabs switched off to prevent air re-circulation.
The two companies introduced a series of new features to steer through the pandemic. In a virtual press conference, Uber announced it will no longer allow more than two passengers in a cab. “To allow for space between the driver and rider during an Uber ride, we’re advising riders not to sit in the front seat. Only two riders will be allowed in a car and they’ll have to sit in the rear seat,” the company said on Monday.

Uber has also made it mandatory for all its driver partners to wear masks while they are on a ride. “Before a driver can go online, they will be asked to confirm, via a new Go Online Checklist, that they’ve taken certain safety measures and are wearing a face mask. A similar checklist has been built for riders. Before every trip, they must confirm that they’ve taken precautions such as wearing a face mask and washing or sanitizing their hands,” said Uber.
Sachin Kansal, global senior director of product management at Uber, said, “Over the last two months, our global tech and safety product teams have been hard at work building a new product experience for riders and drivers. These new features and policies have been rolled out globally, and we will keep enhancing and revising them as needed to ensure a safer product experience for all.”
Additionally, in order to verify that all driver partners are wearing a mask during the ride, they will be asked to take a selfie with a mask on before being starting the ride, Uber said.
While cab services are limping back, drivers say business is poor. “Since most people continue to work from home, we are getting very few rides. Even those who are going to work are being provided transport by their employers,” said a cab driver, requesting anonymity.
Like Uber, wearing a mask will be mandatory to ride or drive an Ola. Ola also advised passengers to load and unload luggage themselves, instead of expecting the driver to do so, to maintain social distancing.