Video of an Uber ride is all the rage on TikTok and Instagram ⁠— the driver got himself a cockpit covered in plastic

• Ride-sharing servers like Uber will likely be allowed to resume services once the lockdown lifts, but they’re not taking any chances.
  
• A TikTok video of an Uber ride in Gurgaon over the driver wearing a mask and sitting in a seat shielded with plastic has gone viral.
  
• The company has also issued new guidelines, for rider and customer, to mitigate any tension that may arise due to an accidental cough or sneeze.
  

Calling an Uber won’t be the same anymore once the lockdown lifts. Drivers in India are going to be wearing a mask and — as an additional precautionary measure — their seats may be covered in plastic, according to a video that was posted on TikTok yesterday.

@iamshubhradixit

Protection provided for über drivers...great Initiative...well done 👍👏👏👏##foryou ##uber ##coronavarious

♬ Myself - Bazzi

The cab is a relatively enclosed space. Even a sneeze or an accidental cough that create tension between the rider and the driver. Putting a plastic cover ensures that even when social distancing isn’t physically possible, the risk of contamination is mitigated to a certain extent.

Uber’s new safety guidelines
For over two months the ride-sharing company has been asking its customers to stay at home as much as possible. And, now that the lockdown may be lifted in many parts of India come May 18, they’re not going to take any chances, according to a company blog post.

All drivers, before being allowed to accept any riders, will have to check-in through a ‘Go Online Checklist’ to verify that their face is covered, And the same will apply to riders as well.

In addition, every time you want to take an Uber, you’ll have to sit in the backseat with the windows open. That means, no matter how hot it gets, air-conditioning won’t be an option. If you find that your driver isn’t wearing a mask, you’re allowed to cancel your ride without the prerequisite penalty that was imposed before.

What’s new are the plastic screens. Even though the measure wasn’t outlined in Uber’s safety guidelines, the driver in the TikTok video — allegedly in Gurgaon's Udyog Vihar — has a plastic screen shielding his seat, not unlike drivers in China with the country’s Didi ride-hailing service.

While more viewers have lauded the efforts made by Uber India, others are wondering whether they'll be allowed to make cash payments in the comments.

The toll of the lockdown hasn’t been easy Uber. Just two days ago, on May 14, it laid off over 3,500 of its employees over a three-minute Zoom call. Taking precautions is one of the key ways that the company will be able to get back to business once the lockdown lifts.

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