Lyft will require all riders and drivers to wear masks starting in June

• All Lyft drivers and passengers will soon be required to wear masks, the company said Thursday.
• The app will also prompt users to avoid the front seat and keep windows open for fresh air.
• Uber is reportedly considering similar rules, but has not made any announcements yet.
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Lyft will require all riders and drivers to wear masks beginning in June, the company announced Thursday.

"Before using Lyft, every rider and driver will be required to self-certify that they will wear face masks throughout the ride, are symptom-free, and will follow CDC guidelines and local regulations related to COVID-19," Angie Westbrock, Lyft's VP of global operations and head of its COVID-19 response task force, said in a conference call with reporters.

In addition to masks, riders and drivers are also required to confirm they will keep windows open when possible, maintain a clean car, and not ride in the front seat. Anyone who does not agree to the certification in the app will not be able to request a ride, and those found to violate the agreement could be kicked off the app, Lyft said.

"We believe that being part of the Lyft community must come with responsibility to each do our part to protect one another," Westbrock said. "When you wear a mask, you're demonstrating to someone that you care about them. This is to protect their safety. It's really helping give riders and drivers that extra peace of mind in this time."

Asked why the mask requirements are not taking effect until June, as many transportation providers including Amtrak and airlines have already began to require facial coverings, Lyft said it needed time to make the new rules clear.

"We wanted to be sure that drivers and riders have clarity about the program's expectations," Westbrock said. "In the meantime, we'll continue to communicate with riders and drivers about the CDC guidelines and recommendations so that they have all the information that they need to best protect themselves and those around them."

The new guidelines from Lyft come as many states like Texas announce plans to gradually relax shelter-in-place order and allow some businesses to reopen. Lyft executives said Wednesday that ride volumes have plunged more than 70% amid the pandemic, but are slowly starting to show signs of improvement.

Amid the downturn, Lyft has begun several other initiatives to help protect drivers and maintain ways for them to keep working, including delivering medical supplies and groceries for at-risk groups of people.

Uber is considering a similar move to require masks in the US, CNN Business reported this week, citing an unnamed source familiar with the matter. The company will report its first-quarter earnings Thursday afternoon, and will likely be asked about any safety plans as rides begin to accelerate again.

"We're setting the new standard for health protection in rideshare," Westbrock said.