Uber to keep ‘no mask, no ride’ policy after July 19

16 July 2021, 22:38 | Updated: 16 July 2021, 22:39

Uber has become the latest transport company to announce that face coverings will remain mandatory on its services from Monday.

The taxi firm has announced that its drivers and passengers will still have to wear face coverings even after the legal requirement comes to an end on July 19.

UK general manager Ash Kebriti said: "There is nothing more important than the safety of our drivers and the riders who use the Uber app.

"As cities continue to open up, we will ensure that face coverings or masks continue to be a mandatory requirement, unless exempt, when travelling with Uber across the UK."

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Uber joins a growing list of companies that have said they will continue to ask their customers to wear face coverings after July 19.

On Wednesday, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan announced that masks would remain compulsory on Transport for London (TfL) networks, meaning passengers on the Tube, bus, tram, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and Overground will need to continue wearing them for the duration of their journey unless they are exempt.

Under the terms of use, enforcement officers would be able to deny access or eject passengers found to be non-compliant.

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Boris Johnson announced on Monday that there would no longer be a legal requirement to wear masks in any setting in England after July 19.

The Prime Minister instead urged people to exercise "personal responsibility" in continuing to wear them in "crowded and enclosed spaces".

As well as public transport companies, a number of UK supermarkets have also said they will continue asking their customers to wear masks after Monday.

Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, Asda, Lidl, Aldi and Morrisons have so far all said they will encourage their customers to continue wearing face coverings, although some have acknowledged the decision is ultimately down to the customer.