What Rideshare, Taxi, Limo, and other Passenger Drivers-for-Hire Need to Know about COVID-19
As a rideshare, taxi, limo, or other driver-for-hire, how can I protect
myself and others?
As a driver-for-hire, potential sources of exposure include having close
contact with passengers with COVID-19, or touching surfaces touched or handled
by a person with COVID-19.
Stay home if you are sick

If you develop a fever, or symptoms such as a cough or difficulty breathing, call your healthcare provider for medical advice and guidance before visiting their office.
You should not return to work until the criteria to discontinue home isolation are met, after talking with your doctor or nurse.

Wear a cloth face covering

CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, especially in areas where there may be a lot of infected people.
Cloth face coverings may prevent people who don’t know they have the virus from transmitting it to others.
These face coverings are not surgical masks or respirators and are not appropriate substitutes for them in workplaces where masks or respirators are recommended or required.

Limit contact

Avoid providing pooled rides or picking up multiple passengers who would not otherwise be riding together on the same route.
Tell the passenger to sit in the back seat; do not let passengers sit in the front seat.
Avoid close contact with passengers, when possible. 
Keep a distance of at least 6 feet from passengers when you are outside the vehicle.
Ask that passengers sit six feet from the driver when transporting passengers in larger vehicles such as vans and buses.
Consider asking passengers to handle their own personal bags and belongings during pick-up and drop-off.


If you work for a company that offers a large fleet of vehicles, ask company management for a car/taxi (when applicable) with a partition between driver and passengers, if available.
Avoid using the recirculated air option for the car’s ventilation during passenger transport; use the car’s vents to bring in fresh outside air and/or lower the vehicle windows.
Avoid offering items such as water bottles or magazines often provided for free to passengers.
Avoid contact with surfaces frequently touched by passengers or other drivers, such as door frame/handles, windows, seatbelt buckles, steering wheel, gearshift, signaling levers, and other vehicle parts before cleaning and disinfection.

Clean and disinfect

Get and carry cleaning and disinfectant spray or disposable wipes and disposal trash bags with you in your vehicle.
Follow the directions on the cleaning product’s label.
If surfaces are visibly dirty, they should be cleaned with detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.

At a minimum, clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces in the vehicle at the beginning and end of each shift, and between transporting passengers who are sick.


Appropriate disinfectants for hard non-porous surfaces include: 

EPA’s Registered Antimicrobial Products for Use Against Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2external icon
Diluted household bleach solutions prepared and used according to the manufacturers label for disinfection if appropriate for the surface
Alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol.



Practice everyday preventive actions

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
Proper hand hygiene is an important infection control measure. Keep in mind where you can access and use facilities with soap and water during your shift. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.
Key times to clean hands include: 
Before, during, and after preparing food
Before eating food
Before and after using the toilet
After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing


Additional times on the job to clean hands include: 
Before and after work shifts
Before and after work breaks
After handling passengers’ personal belongings, if unavoidable
Between rides and after handling/exchanging money
After putting on, touching, or removing cloth face coverings
Before wearing and after removing cold-weather gloves
Before and after pumping gas


Carry tissues in your vehicle to use when you cough, sneeze, or touch your face. Throw used tissues in the trash.

Passengers

Ask passengers to wear a cloth face covering and cover their mouth and nose with tissues if they cough or sneeze. Ask the passenger to dispose of the tissues after exiting the vehicle.
Immediately report any passengers intentionally spreading their germs in car interior to management, your app rideshare company, and/or the authorities, as appropriate.
If you feel uncomfortable with providing transport to a visibly sick passenger for safety reasons, you can choose to refuse transport. However, discrimination against passengers on the basis of race, national origin, or other reasons as described in your company’s policies is not allowed.