As pandemic safety measures have lifted in the US, ride-hailing drivers risk deactivation for imposing their own mask rules.
Nearly two weeks ago, Uber and Lyft removed in-app buttons that allowed US drivers to easily cancel rides if their passengers weren’t wearing masks—to protect themselves against Covid-19.
“It’s an absolute tell for what they care about in the workplace,” says Lyft driver Rondu Gantt.
The change came after a federal judge in Florida struck down a nationwide mask mandate in April that applied to many forms of public transportation: trains, planes, buses, and ride-hailing. The next day, both companies lifted their own mask rules. For drivers like Gantt, who says he’s “vaxxed to the max” and still wears a mask while driving for Lyft in the Bay Area, the change “adds a layer of complication to driving.”
He’s mostly OK with people not wearing…
