Skip to main content

Coronavirus: Uber suspends North America shared rides

Uber is suspending shared rides on its platform in the US and Canada in a bid to reduce the spread of coronavirus.
By Ben Spencer March 18, 2020 Read time: 1 min
Uber suspends shared rides in wake of coronavirus (Source: © Ognian Setchanov | Dreamstime.com)

A report from Reuters says the ride-hailing giant has disabled a pooled option which allows users to book trips at lower prices by sharing the car with up to three other riders heading in the same direction.

Andrew Macdonald, senior vice president of Uber Rides, says: “Our goal is to help flatten the curve on community spread in the cities we serve.”
 
Riders will now also see a message prompting them to consider whether the trip they intend to book is essential and to only travel when necessary. They are also being asked to wash their hands before and after each trip and to roll down the window to improve ventilation.
 
Uber is not alone in taking measures against coronavirus. Earlier this month, Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) issued guidance to safeguard taxi and private hire car drivers and their passengers.

 

 
 

Related Content

  • August 20, 2019
    Perfect Data launches ride-hailing app in UK
    Perfect Data has launched a ride-hailing app across the UK which it says will provide local authorities with a map of all vehicles operating in their areas. Darren Tenney, founder of Perfect Data, says Xooox [pronounced ‘Zooks’] will allow regulators to see what’s happening at street level. “At last they will have the power to take action against unlicensed, banned or out of jurisdiction drivers,” he continues. “This will not only help keep passengers safe, it will help protect the income of the hundred
  • May 27, 2021
    Ohio displays transit options in Lyft app
    Central Ohio Transit Authority says move will allow ride-hailers to compare modes
  • October 4, 2018
    Driverless cars will be on UK roads within four years, says minister
    Fully driverless cars will enter the UK in three to four years, says transport secretary Chris Grayling at the Conservative Party conference in the city of Birmingham. A report by Reuters says Grayling is committed to ending the sale of new diesel and petrol cars by 2040. “Newer diesel cars today are cleaner than ever before and of course there will be a role for diesel for many years to come as technology evolves,” Grayling adds. However, OpenText has carried out a survey of 2,000 UK consumers,
  • May 19, 2022
    How to secure future shares in mobility
    Shared Mobility Action Agenda focuses on transport from ride-hail to micromobility