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In line with public health guidance to reduce the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), rideshare has taken steps to look after its riders and drivers. They're encouraging passengers to ride in the back, requesting masks be worn and sanitising surfaces often.
Whether you're a rider wishing to avoid public transport or a driver who relies on this side gig, here's what DiDi, Ola, Uber and Shebah are doing to ensure you stay healthy during this pandemic.
As of 4 January 2021, all drivers and riders must wear masks when travelling on a rideshare in Greater Sydney.
Currently available in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Geelong, Newcastle, Perth, Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast, DiDi has ample coverage across major cities and tourist centres.
To protect the health of riders and drivers, DiDi has advised the following:
To protect the financial welfare of its drivers, DiDi has introduced the following:
Operating in 21 cities and regional locations around Australia including Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Sydney, Central Coast, Wagga Wagga and the Gold Coast, Ola is closely following health guidelines to minimise the impact.
It's putting a pause on riders and drivers who have contracted or been exposed to COVID-19 and is working to prioritise essential travel.
To protect the health of riders and drivers, Ola has advised the following:
To protect the financial welfare of its drivers, Ola has introduced the following:
With 20+ cities in its network, Uber is the most widespread rideshare in Australia and is working closely with health authorities in response to the pandemic.
Uber is suspending the accounts of drivers and riders who have contracted or been exposed to COVID-19. It's also providing ample supplies and support to its drivers to keep the community safe and riding with them.
To protect the health of riders and drivers, Uber has advised the following:
To protect the financial welfare of its drivers, Uber has introduced the following:
As the only female-driver rideshare and one that's allowed to pick up minors, Shebah can offer safe school pick-ups and family rides. In light of COVID-19, Shebah has extended its services to include the elderly and vulnerable to allow them to get to the shops or pick up shopping and prescriptions.
To protect the health of riders and drivers, Shebah has advised the following:
To protect the welfare of its drivers, Shebah has introduced the following:
Unfortunately, as drivers are independent service providers, Shebah is not offering any compensation for those taken sick and unable to work.
With the COVID-19 outbreak in Australia, more and more people are eager to avoid sharing public spaces with other humans, including public transport. This could cause an increase in rideshare vehicle bookings as people seek an alternative to their regular methods of transport, or a drop as non-essential travel is cut down.
Either way, rideshare vehicles are still shared spaces. What should you know to keep yourself and others safe? All advice in this article is general - for more safety information as well as the latest updates see the government's health site about COVID-19.
If possible, you probably want to avoid borrowing shared items like cars. However if you must for an essential reason, there's a number of steps you can take to minimise the risk of spreading infections between yourself and others. Owners should consider these precautions too.
If the rideshare administrators become aware that someone infectious has used a vehicle, they should send a message informing members to avoid using that vehicle. Car Next Door's email to it's car owners read the following:
"In the unlikely event that we learn that someone who was infectious has used your car, we will notify you and any other members who have used the car, and make it unavailable for bookings for 10 days or until it's cleaned."
If you or anyone else who's used a rideshare vehicle has been diagnosed with COVID-19, call or get in touch with the rideshare administrator. This will not only let them inform other members but also clean the car thoroughly before anyone else has contact with it.
If you're a rideshare driver and have lost your your job due to coronavirus you may be entitled to government payouts. Conditions apply and you may not be entitled to any benefits if rideshare was a sidehustle and its loss has not left you unemployed.
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