Americans Stay Away from Ridesharing During COVID-19

In apparent anticipation of the further easing of social distancing measures, rideshare provider Uber has overhauled its COVID-19 safety protocol, but a survey reveals that a large share of Americans is still looking to use ridesharing and taxis less in the coming months.

According to website Car Gurus, almost 40 percent of Americans said they wanted to change their habits and use taxis/rideshares less or not at all even if the economy had reopened. 45 percent said the same about public transport and 49 percent said they would instead use their own vehicle more.

CNN business learned Sunday that Uber was planning to introduce facial recognition software to make sure drivers are wearing a face mask or face covering while on the job. Riders would also be required to cover their mouths and noses under the new policy. The rules are expected to be rolled out in several markets, including the U.S., though it wasn’t clear when.

Uber has been asking drivers to stay home if possible and has been shipping masks to those who, as they said, provided essential trips. While competitor Lyft laid off nearly 1,000 employees amid the coronavirus pandemic, Uber has not made such drastic steps, but reportedly has also been mulling cuts. The company is set to publish its first quarter figures Thursday. Ridership on the service was down up to 70 percent in certain cities starting in March.