In an effort to protect the health and well-being of our Hitch community, we will be enhancing our current COVID-19 response, effective immediately. When you must travel, let's do our part to further combat the spread of this virus.
We strongly recommend that all riders purchase private rides for their necessary travel with Hitch. To encourage social distancing for our rider & driver community, we have reduced the cost of all private rides by 50%. Private rides are rides that you do not share with any other passengers, other than those that may be in your party. We believe that private rides should be available to all that may need it in this trying time, especially as high-capacity bus and flight alternatives remain unsafe options.
The following policies will be enforced via driver and rider feedback, as well as personal verification. Confirmed cases of non-compliance may impact your ability to ride with Hitch during this pandemic.
Some basic facts about COVID-19 are:
What You Should Know About COVID-19
Share the Facts about COVID-19
Driver Rating Screen
To start, riders will be asked to confirm if their driver was wearing a mask during the entirety of the trip. We will use this information to enforce the mandatory mask requirement. This product update will be in effect on July 3, 2020.
Rider Rating Screen
Drivers will also see a similar screen to report any riders who were not wearing a mask during their trip. This product update will be in effect on July 3, 2020.
The following policies will be enforced via driver and rider feedback, as well as personal verification. Confirmed cases of non-compliance may impact your ability to ride with Hitch during this pandemic.
As we have witnessed an uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases facing our communities, we feel that it is vital that we make structural changes to our service to curtail and combat the spread of this disease. We are putting into place a series of policy changes and plans in order to continue providing rides in this trying time, while protecting our rider and driver communities.
To encourage social distancing for our rider & driver community, we will be reducing the cost of all private rides by up to 50% starting today. This means that your ride will have just you and the driver. We believe that private rides should be available to all that may need it in this trying time, especially as high-capacity bus and flight alternatives remain unsafe options.
Last week, we implemented requirements for our drivers to emphasize cleanliness of their vehicles. We now ask our riders as well to work toward minimizing unnecessary contact and to exercise proper social distancing while using our service.
Before each ride, drivers will be required to:
- Disinfect all door handles, locks, interior doors, and plastic or metal surfaces in the vehicle
- Disinfect all passenger seats and seat-backs
- Ventilate their vehicle
Both our drivers AND our riders will be required to:
- Disinfect and wash their hands, according to CDC recommended standards HERE- Minimize contact during the ride. It is important to note that during this time riders should expect to open doors and handle luggage themselves.
- Not use our service if they are feeling sick or are experiencing uncommon symptoms. We will waive all cancellation fees to riders who must cancel their ride due to present flu symptoms.
For the duration of this public health crisis, we will ask our drivers and riders who CANNOT acknowledge their acceptance of these terms to please kindly refrain from using our service, as the safety and well-being of the hard-working people who use our service every day is our highest priority in these hectic times.
Sincerely,
The Hitch Team
DRIVERS - PRE-RIDE:
- Drivers are required, until otherwise notified, to disinfect all door handles and plastic surfaces that riders may interact with before each drive. Vehicles should be kept presentable according to our normal standards as well. Drivers are responsible for maintaining access to disinfectant materials and a lack of access will not be an acceptable reason for bypassing this step.
- Drivers are required to use a disinfectant spray (i.e. Lysol) in their vehicle on all seats and seat backs before and after each ride, as well as properly ventilating the vehicle.
- Physical interaction between drivers and riders should be minimized and eliminated if at all possible. Riders should expect to open and close their own doors and handle all luggage, and drivers should expect to operate rear windows if available and requested as well as remove items that may be shared between riders (chargers, courtesy items, etc.).
- Drivers who are experiencing any variety of illness symptoms are expected to refrain from accepting riders until they are certain they are no longer contagious or at risk as confirmed by a doctor.
- If you are experiencing symptoms unrelated, but similar to COVID-19 mask use is required.
- Failure to follow these policies will result in removal from our app.
RIDERS & DRIVERS - PRE-RIDE:
- Drivers and riders are required to sanitize and thoroughly wash their hands before entering their ride. Riders are required to sanitize any personal items as well and should expect to handle and load their own luggage.
- Riders should expect to open their own doors and fill the ride according to the best social distancing policies. Single riders should maximize the distance between themselves in accordance with the best available social distancing practices.
RIDERS & DRIVERS - IN-RIDE:
- Drivers or riders who are experiencing unrelated symptoms should disclose these symptoms at the start of the ride and a mask should be utilized.
- Drivers and riders should expect the driver to ventilate the car upon request, especially in the instance that a driver or rider begins to feel ill or experience symptoms during the ride.
- Please note that in accordance with our disbursement of this update to policy, use of the platform as a rider and driver will indicate the acceptance of these terms. All members of the Hitch rider and driver community are expected to assist us in ensuring the safety of each and every one of our users.
As a safety precaution, we will temporarily suspend the account of any driver or rider who reports a positive COVID-19 test.
