Uber app update warns riders ahead of NYE festivities

People love Uber for its cheap fares but cheap shots can get you barred from the service.

Ahead of New Year's Eve, Uber updated its app on Wednesday in Australia and New Zealand to make riders aware that behaving well and being cordial is not only expected of the driver but also the passengers.

Uber has removed riders recently for making racist and sexist remarks, deliberately damaging vehicles, and account fraud.

"We know it's a great time of year to let the hair down and enjoy a few drinks, and we just ask riders to keep this in mind so everyone can have a five-star ride this festive season," said Uber's Australia New Zealand general manager David Rohrsheim.

"While we find most riders are great, we've seen the odd instance of rude, inappropriate or abusive behaviour, and we're making it clear to riders this is not on."

He said the overwhelming majority of riders do comply with the regulations and about 10,000 riders request their own ratings each week.