Uber will spend $50 million (Dh183.5m) on safety supplies, such as masks and sanitisers – which it will provide to its drivers – and the company is adding new features to its app, chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi said.
“Access to cleaning materials and protective equipment is critical … as of this week, we have secured more than 23 million masks for drivers and delivery people around the world,” Mr Khosrowshahi told journalists during a Zoom call on Wednesday.
"Keeping everyone safe means that everyone must take proper precautions, not only to protect yourselves, but to protect your driver and the next person who may be getting into the car after," he added.
The ride-hailing giant is adding new app features that allow customers to check if drivers are wearing face masks before starting trips.
The San Francisco-based company’s core business has been hit hard due to the coronavirus pandemic as stay-at-home orders meant people cut down their travel. Last week the company said it will lay off 3,700 full-time employees, or about 14 per cent of its workforce. The company said for the month of April its ride-hailing business is down 80 per cent year-on-year..
“Now, as cities begin to reopen and people start moving again, Uber is proceeding with caution … it’s important to us that you know what to expect when you take that second first trip,” Mr Khosrowshahi said.
Under new measures, before a driver or a delivery person can go online, they will be asked to confirm - through a new Go Online checklist - that they have taken certain safety actions and are wearing a mask.
The new technology will verify if the driver is wearing a mask by asking them to take a selfie. After the driver is verified, the company will inform the rider via an in-app message.
Starting Monday, drivers who are not wearing a mask will not be able to go online.
“We will maintain this policy through the end of June, and then reassess based on local public health needs,” Mr Khosrowshahi said.
The company has also built a similar checklist for customers.
Before every trip, customers must confirm they have taken precautions like wearing a mask and sanitising their hands. Riders must also agree to sit in the back seat and open windows for ventilation.
“Self-certification is good but sometimes verification is really important,” Sachin Kansal, Uber’s senior director of product management, said on the call.
“It is one thing for us to issue guidelines and requirements, but sometimes we have to enforce those requirements.”
Last month, the company, which is still not profitable, withdrew its financial forecast for 2020 and said it would write down about $2 billion in investments due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Uber lost $2.9bn in the first quarter as its overseas investments were hammered by the contagion. Mr Khosrowshahi said he will forgo his salary for the remainder of this year.
The company, which went public on the Nasdaq a year ago, said it is also evaluating other costs as it looks to drive down operating expenses.
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Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
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More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
