On March 4, 2020, Uber published a post detailing the technologies they use to test, validate, and deploy autonomous vehicles. While Uber has experienced setbacks with their self-driving cars, this information reveals what their next steps are and how their technology could impact the rideshare industry.

According to Uber in an article from VentureBeat, the most important component of their self-driving technology is VerCD, which is a set of tools and microservices developed specifically for prototyping autonomous vehicles. It has the ability to track different processes and ensure vehicles follow the necessary stages to operate safely on roadways.

Uber Health is rolling out new features designed to reduce issues for patients and providers when it comes to arranging patient rides to and from appointments and hospital discharges. Since it’s launch in March 2018, Uber Health has grown 300% year on year.

Currently, more than 1,000 healthcare organizations use Uber’s healthcare services. The new features being launched for the medical transportation system include multilingual notifications, scheduling for landline phone users, and a direct driver messaging app. The new features were slowly introduced in late 2019, but they will be widely available by April 2020.

A group of Uber Black drivers in Philadelphia is being given another opportunity with their lawsuit against the company, alleging they’ve been misclassified as independent contractors. On March 3, 2020, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a summary judgment for Uber after the district court incorrectly determined the drivers were not employees as a matter of law.

The plaintiffs are alleging violations of the federal minimum wage and overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and corresponding Pennsylvania laws. The drivers believe “that time spent online on the Uber Driver App qualifies as compensable time under the FLSA.” Their principal argument for this is that Uber controls access and the use of the Driver App.

An Uber and Lyft driver from Chicago recently launched a new app with the intention of helping rideshare drivers connect with each other. The app, DriverChatter, is available for Uber and Lyft drivers in Chicago. There are plans to expand to cities throughout the United States.

Developed by Vivek Shah, the app aims to overcome a number of the obstacles rideshare drivers face by allowing them to chat and interact with each other on the purpose-built platform.

The potential spread of the coronavirus to the United States is causing concern among the rideshare community. As drivers regularly interact with the public, a number of them are taking extra precautions to keep themselves and their passengers healthy.

Some rideshare drivers are receiving in-app messages from Uber urging drivers to protect themselves. If they feel sick, they’re asked to stay home. It’s also requested that drivers wash hands frequently, cover coughs or sneezes, and disinfect vehicles regularly.