Face masks: Do I need to wear a covering in a taxi?
FROM today (June 15) it is mandatory for people to wear face coverings on public transport.
Now Uber has said that from the same date both drivers and passengers will have to wear a face mask while using their ride-sharing service.
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Do I need to wear a face mask in a taxi?
Uber confirmed that from June 15 people using their service will need to wear a face mask.
This applies both to passengers and drivers.
A statement from the company said: “We're introducing mandatory face coverings as of Monday, June 15th to help protect the health and safety of you and your driver.
“As of Monday, if you aren't wearing a face covering, your driver has the right to cancel your ride, and anyone who is repeatedly flagged for not wearing a face covering will risk losing access to the app.”
It added: “We have launched a new feature in London which will verify whether your driver is wearing a face covering via prompting them to take a selfie before they can go online.
“You can also cancel your ride if your driver arrives and is not wearing a face covering.”
It comes after a suggested masks could cut Covid-19 spread by up to 40%.
What are the rules for other taxi services?
There appears to be some confusion concerning the rules for other taxi services, such as black cabs in London.
London regulators Transport for London (TfL) have stated that from Monday 15 June, taxi and private hire drivers “should” wear a face covering at all times when in a taxi or private hire vehicle, according to website
However, the Department for Transport said that the new mandatory face covering measures for the travelling public does not cover taxi and private hire vehicles.
Graham Robinson, Taxi and Private Hire General Manager at TfL : “While the Government advice doesn’t explicitly cover the use of taxi and private hire services, this guidance is intended to mirror the arrangements put in place on public transport.”
A Department for Transport (DfT) spokesperson told TaxiPoint: “While the regulations for public transport do not cover taxis and private hire vehicles (PHV) the trade is already able to implement measures to protect drivers and passengers.
"Taxi drivers are already able to refuse carriage to passengers where it is reasonable to do so, this might include those that are able but refuse to wear a face covering."
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Steve McNamara, General Secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA) told members: “Whilst its perfectly reasonable to expect Private Hire drivers, and their passengers, to wear masks in a small un-partitioned saloon car, where social distancing is impossible and where the risk of infection is high.
"We see it as totally unnecessary, overly burdensome and restrictive in a purpose built vehicle, with a partition, and where social distancing is possible.”
According to , the average person in England made 10 taxi or private hire vehicle trips last year with an average duration of 20 minutes per trip.
