Uber Scraps Masking and Back-Seat Only Polices: Starting Today

By Yehudit Garmaise

Uber no longer requires its US passengers to mask during their rides: as of Tuesday, according to the company’s website, which updated its pandemic safety rules this morning.

In another update to the ride-sharing company’s rules, while during the pandemic, Uber riders were not allowed to sit in drivers’ front seats, now riders may do so, if extra seats are needed.

Understandably, Uber still asks riders “to give their drivers some space,” and to “use the front seats only if you need it due to the sizes of your groups.”

Uber’s change in masking policy comes the day after US District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, in Florida, overturned the public transportation mask mandate she called “unlawful” and “unconstitutional.”

Since, February 2021, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has required all American passengers to mask as they travel.

"Remember: many people still feel safer wearing a mask because of personal or family health situations, so please be respectful of their preferences,” reminds Uber, which added that the CDC still recommends masking for those who have personal risk factors or who are travelling in high-transmission areas.

“And if you ever feel uncomfortable, you can always cancel the trip," Uber said definitively.