Safety and respect for all

When we created our global Community Guidelines in 2016, we had the common value of respect at the heart of all our decisions. We believe in looking out for one another and treating each individual with the respect they deserve.

But as with all things, time brings change. As more people began to use the platform - both internationally and here in New Zealand - it became harder to ensure all users were aware of these guidelines.

That’s a problem, community standards are only effective if everyone understands them. So today we’re launching new Community Guidelines that are simpler and clearer.

And since everyone on our platform is expected to follow these guidelines, we're taking steps to make sure everyone in the Uber community knows about them and what they mean.

Ensuring Everyone Gets It
Over the coming weeks riders, driver and delivery partners will individually see a full screen summary of the Community Guidelines when they open the Uber app. They’ll be asked to confirm they understand and agree to abide by these guidelines, or face losing access to the Uber apps.

We’re also launching a campaign to educate the entire Uber community about these guidelines. From in-app messages and emails to signs in our driver support centres, we’re doubling down on getting the word out.

We’re proud Uber brings people together who come from different walks of life and we want every Uber experience to be a great one. By educating customers and partners about the Community Guidelines, asking them to confirm they understand, and holding everyone accountable, we can help Uber be welcoming and safe for all.

One Uber
Our new Community Guidelines fall under three key pillars:

1. Safety and Respect for All
2. Follow the Law
3. Keep One Another Safe

These principles apply to the entire Uber community - whether you’re a driver, rider, ordering Uber Eats or taking a ride on our JUMP scooters.

Importantly if you do something that breaches the guidelines, you won’t just lose access to Rides, Eats or JUMP - you’ll lose access to all the Uber apps.

Ratings-based Rider Deactivations
Respect is a two-way street, and so is accountability. That’s why this time last year Uber Australia and New Zealand announced that riders whose rating fell below a minimum average for the city would lose access to the Uber app, after several notifications have been provided. This new policy was aimed at those who were persistently not treating drivers with respect.

One year on, I’m glad to say only a handful of riders across the region have lost access to the Uber apps for low ratings.

More importantly we’ve seen an increase in the average rider ratings across New Zealand since we announced our rider ratings policy and an almost 40% drop in poor driver experiences on trips. In New Zealand, our top rated drivers and riders can both be found in Dunedin while Auckland saw the biggest increase in average rider rating since our rider rating policy was introduced.

Among the NZ cities which launched prior to 2018, the best rated riders can be found in Christchurch and the best rated drivers can be found in Wellington.

But we’re not stopping there. We think we can do more though to build on this positive trend.

When we introduced the new policy, riders at risk of losing app access began receiving tips on how to improve their ratings. From today, riders will receive these tips and sooner - before their ratings drop below the average minimum ratings in their city. After we first introduced this policy, Christchurch saw the biggest positive jump in ratings given to riders who received information on how to improve.

We want every experience using the Uber app to be a safe, respectful and positive experience for everyone.

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