For more than two months, Uber has been urging riders to stay home, for their safety and the safety of driver-partners who have continued to help people make essential trips.

Now, as Australian cities begin to reopen and people start moving again, we want you to know what to expect when you take that “second first trip.” 

Today we’re launching a pre-trip checklist for riders and driver-partners, as well as delivery-partners on Uber Eats. 

Before a driver or delivery partner can go online, they will be asked to confirm, via a new Go Online Checklist, that they’ve taken certain safety measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. These include steps such as having sanitised their vehicle, having hand sanitiser available and a commitment to practice physical distancing. 

At Uber we have been reimbursing all active driver-partners for products like disinfectant wipes and hand sanitisers, and have distributed tens of thousands of car disinfectants to maximise hygiene safety for every ride. In addition, we’re providing drivers with information on how best to keep their vehicles safe such as how to best clean high touch surfaces. 

There’ll also be a similar in-app reminder for riders. Before every trip, riders will be reminded to take precautions like washing or sanitising their hands. We’ve also lowered the maximum number of riders for an UberX ride from four to three, and are asking all riders to sit in the back seat.  

A specialised Uber team is available 24/7 to support public health authorities in their response to the pandemic. Working with them, we can help alert those who may have come into contact with someone who tested positive and temporarily suspend the accounts of those confirmed to have contracted or been exposed to COVID-19.

We will continue to operate with safety at the very top of mind, because we all have a role to play in keeping each other safe.