Lyft drivers in Los Angeles gathered Feb. 2 to demonstrate against the reinstitution of shared ride policies as the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing.

According to CBS L.A., Lyft let drivers know via email two weeks earlier that the company would be returning its shared ride service to certain regions around Los Angeles, which led to the protests.

Lyft released a statement Feb. 2 stating driver safety is a top priority for the company, and the email was more of an attempt at transparency. Drivers are not required to accept these rides when they do not want and would not face penalties for doing as such, the CBS L.A. report said.

Lyft mandates all drivers and riders wear masks, with either party allowed to cancel without penalty if the health codes are not followed. Some of the protesting drivers have collectively filed a formal complaint with the state about the issue, according to the report from CBS L.A. 

Lyft does not believe many drivers will be affected by the change, CBS L.A. reported. In addition to the mask mandate, other safety policies undertaken by Lyft in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are that the front passenger and back middle seats should always be unoccupied. 

Drivers have complained they have no way to know if a rider is vaccinated and that they have to drive riders with unknown cold symptoms on some occasions, according to a report from CBS L.A.

The suing drivers reportedly filed a complaint with the state and plan to file a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.