San Francisco, May 17 (IANS): Ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft have introduced face mask policies where drivers as well as riders will be required to wear face masks and coverings in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Uber announced that new changes will go into effect from May 18 and last through the end of June in the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe and most Latin American and Asian countries.

"Keeping everyone safe means that everyone must take proper precautions, not only to protect yourselves, but to protect your driver and protect the next person who may be getting into the car after," Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber CEO, said during a virtual press conference.

"Self-certification is good but sometimes verification is really important," he said. "It's one thing for us to issue guidelines and requirements but sometimes we have to enforce those requirements," he added.

Meanwhile, Lyft also says there will be a verification process to make sure both riders and drivers are wearing masks.

"We believe being part of the Lyft community comes with shared responsibility. When you wear a mask, you are demonstrating to someone that you care about them. This helps give both sides riders and drivers that extra peace of mind during this time," Lyft VP of Global Operations Angie Westbrock said during a press call.