Uber and Lyft lifted their respective mask requirements for U.S. passengers and drivers on Tuesday, one day after a federal judge overturned the Biden administration’s mask mandate for air travel and public transportation.
“Riders and drivers are not required to wear masks when using Uber,” the rideshare app told users in a message on Tuesday. “However, the CDC still recommends wearing a mask if you have certain personal risk factors and/or high transmission levels in your area.”
“Remember: many people still feel safer wearing a mask because of personal or family health situations, so please be respectful of their preferences,” Uber said in a statement. “And if you ever feel uncomfortable, you can always cancel the trip.”
The company also said it would allow riders to sit in the front seats of vehicles, two years after banning the practice at the onset of the pandemic.
Lyft announced it will also make masks optional and allow riders to sit in the front.
“While riders and drivers can always cancel any ride they don’t wish to take, health safety reasons—like not wearing a mask—will no longer appear as cancellation options in the app,” Lyft said in a statement.
The announcements come one day after a federal judge in Florida overturned the national transportation mask mandate after finding that the CDC overstepped its authority by requiring masks on planes, trains, buses, and other forms of public transportation.
U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle ruled that the mandate violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) because it was implemented “without allowing public participation through the APA’s notice and comment procedures.”
Shortly after the ruling was issued on Monday, United, Delta, Alaska, American and Southwest Airlines all dropped their mask requirements.