Uber Suspends Uber Pool Due To The Coronavirus
Uber has suspended its Uber Pool feature in the United States and Canada due to the worsening outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Uber Pool allows riders to share rides via a route of predetermined stops.
“Our goal is to help flatten the curve of community spread in the cities we serve. With that in mind, we are suspending the Uber Pool service in the United States and Canada. We remain in close contact with local leaders and will continue to work with them to discourage non-essential travel,” senior vice president Uber Rides and Platform Andrew Macdonald told BuzzFeed News in a statement.
As of Tuesday, there were 185,067 cases of COVID-19 worldwide, with 4,661 in the US. On Monday, public health officials in the Bay Area ordered residents to shelter in place for the next three weeks and not leave their homes except for “only the most essential needs.” New Rochelle, New York, was declared a containment zone last week, and several states like Massachusetts, Ohio, New York, and Illinois, ordered the statewide shutdown of all non-essential business, like bars and restaurants.
“In our efforts to help protect you, your riders, and our community, we’ve decided to suspend Uber Pool until further notice,” an email sent out to drivers Tuesday morning read.
The email made it clear that all other kinds of Uber trips, including UberX rides and deliveries on UberEats, were still available.
The email announcing the suspension, which was provided to BuzzFeed News, also included several tips the company has been regularly sending out to drivers, which include:
Wash their hands before and after entering your car
Give space by sitting in the back seat
Cover their mouth or nose if they cough or sneeze
Consider rolling down the window to improve ventilation
Over the last two weeks, as the outbreak spread out from the first American epicenter in Seattle, Washington, Uber has struggled to communicate exactly how the ride-share app planned to protect drivers from the spread COVID-19.
On March 2, following two US deaths, Uber sent out guidelines about how to handle the outbreak, telling drivers to frequently wash their hands and, if they feel sick, to stay home. Last week, in an email, Uber told its drivers the company would provide cleaning supplies for cars and offer financial assistance for up to 14 days while drivers’ accounts were on hold. The app has also closed its Greenlight Hubs, physical helpdesks in large cities with staff that onboards new drivers.
An anonymous Uber driver based in Seattle told BuzzFeed News that with workplaces shutting down due to self-quarantine in his area, he’s seen a massive decrease in rides.
“I’ve seen a 70% decrease in business just since Amazon announced the work from home about two weeks ago, it’s gotten so bad that I’ve started to drive for Uber eats,” he said. “I’m more scared of the fact that I can’t find sanitizing spray or sanitizing wipes to clean my car so I can only do so much.”
Lyft did not respond to a request for comment on whether it would be shutting down its own shared rides feature.
Uber has suspended its Uber Pool feature in the United States and Canada due to the worsening outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Uber Pool allows riders to share rides via a route of predetermined stops. “Our goal is to help flatten the curve of community…
