Ride hailing companies have been facing severe revenue losses due to the lockdowns imposed by the central government for the containment of the coronavirus. The recent extension of the lockdown, however, brought some relief for these companies.
After almost 50 days of suspension of services, companies like Ola and Uber are back in business as the government allows movement of people. But the ride hailing companies now have to adhere to specific guidelines issued by the government as precautionary measures.
While Ola has resumed its operations in almost 160 cities nationwide, Uber has limited itself to a total of 35 cities, including Delhi and Bangalore. However, the ride hailing companies are still not allowed to operate in containment zones.
In a blog post published on its website, Uber said, “In compliance with Lockdown 4.0 guidelines by the Government, Uber is resuming services across more cities in India. Riders will constantly be notified with further information and the status of specific cities through our app.”
These companies have laid down several guidelines for users and drivers which are mandatory to follow. Here is the list of all the safety-measures taken up by the companies.
- Mandatory Masks: Both the companies have mandated for its riders and drivers to wear a mask all the time.
- Safety Checklist: Both companies have developed an online safety checklist to confirm whether drivers have taken necessary safety precautions. Uber has developed a technology called Go Online Checklist. The technology will be used to check whether the driver has followed the mandated guidelines or not. Once the details are confirmed only then the driver can start his services. Ola has also developed a similar setup where drivers have to send a selfie through its partner app wearing a mask at the start of every trip.
- No Cancellation Charges on Violation of Safety Norms: Both the companies have waived of cancellation charges for its drivers and customers and have allowed them to cancel the trip anytime they feel the other person has not taken safety precautions.
- No AC: Both the companies have asked drivers and riders to not switch on the AC as it spreads the virus. They have been advised to open windows for ventilation.
- Safety Kits: Both the companies have provided their driver-partners with safety kits which include masks, sanitizers, disinfectants, etc. Drivers have been asked to sanitize their vehicles after every trip using the safety kits.
- Limited Passengers: Both companies have limited passenger occupancy to two people excluding the driver. The passengers have been asked to sit on the window sides and not close to each other or next to the driver.
- No Car Sharing/Pool service: Both the companies have blocked their ride pooling services until the government allows.
- Digital Payment only: Both the companies have urged riders and drivers to rely only on digital payments to avoid unnecessary contact.
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