The fear and uncertainty caused by the coronavirus has been felt by everyone around the world. We know it’s especially concerning for people who drive with Uber. In these difficult times, your well-being is important to us, and we have a dedicated team working to support you.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) recommendations
Your safety is always our priority – see below for a summary of the personal protective equipment (PPE) guidelines for drivers who have chosen to continue driving with Uber during the COVID-19 crisis.
| Personal protective equipment (PPE) | |
| Wear a general protective face mask or covering while driving | Recommended |
| Wear disposable gloves while driving | Recommended |
| Have and use hand sanitiser regularly while driving | Recommended |
| Clean your vehicle after every trip, focusing on areas that riders may have touched, like seat belts or car doors and handles. | Recommended |
| Wear a disposable apron while cleaning your vehicle | Recommended |
| Wear disposable gloves while cleaning your vehicle | Recommended |
| Use an antibacterial surface spray to clean the surfaces in your vehicle | Recommended |
Face coverings are no longer required
In line with Government guidance, riders and drivers are no longer required to wear masks or face coverings when using Uber. However, it is still strongly encouraged.
Remember: many people still feel safer wearing a mask because of personal or family health situations, so please be respectful of their preferences. And if you ever feel uncomfortable, you can always cancel the trip.
PPE: How to videos
How to wear a face covering or mask
How to disinfect your vehicle
Purchasing PPE & PPE Reimbursement
We want to ensure that you have the personal protective equipment (PPE) listed above, so we are now offering to reimburse you for purchasing PPE up to the total value of £25.
This reimbursement includes the purchase of:
- General protective masks
- Gloves
- Aprons
In addition, drivers can pick up 1 free kit of hand gel, wipes, surface spray, and face coverings from select Greenlight Hubs. Subject to availability.
How you can claim
To make your one-time claim of up to £25 towards the cost of buying your own PPE supplies, all you need to do is upload a copy of your receipt along with a photo of the items you purchased. You can do this from the help section of your app.
Who can claim
- You will need to have an active account with Uber
- Your account must have been set up on or before 16 March 2020
- You must have taken 1 or more trips in the last 30 days
- You will also be eligible if you have been waitlisted due to COVID-19
Receiving your reimbursement
You will receive your PPE reimbursement in your next payment cycle.
Make sure to purchase PPE which meets the required standards
- Masks: Please purchase fluid-resistant surgical masks and not N95, FFP3 or FFP2 masks, as these are needed by medical workers and are in shorter supply.
- Aprons: Aprons should be disposable fluid repellent coveralls or long-sleeved gowns and are for single session use only.
- Gloves: Gloves should be disposable (single use only).
All PPE should comply with British Standards (BS) or European Norms (EN) to ensure it meets the required standard of safety. Compliance with these standards is normally indicated by items being marked ‘CE’.
Free sanitation supplies in our Hubs
In addition to being reimbursed for PPE up to £25, you can also claim 1 free kit of hand gel, wipes, surface spray, and face coverings in one of the following Greenlight Hubs:
- London
- Birmingham
- Manchester
- Leeds
- Bristol
- Glasgow
- Southampton
Subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply.
Wellbeing resources
We understand this might be a difficult time for you and your family. If you feel like circumstances related to coronavirus are impacting your mental health, you can speak to someone by calling Samaritans UK at 116 123, or visiting their website here. Support is also available through a dedicated NHS website here.
Updating our no-front-seat policy
Riders are no longer required to sit in the back seat. However, to give drivers space and allow for safe exit on either side of the vehicle, we ask that riders only use the front seat if it’s required because of the size of their group
Regular vehicle capacity
Because the front seat is now accessible, this means that all vehicle capacity is back to its original capacity. For example, an UberX or Uber Exec can now carry 4 passengers instead of 3.
Posted by Uber UK
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