Ola has agreed to contribute 500 vehicles to help with efforts to combat COVID-19 in Karnataka. This was revealed by state Deputy Chief Minister Dr Aswhathnarayan C N who said that these vehicles will be used by the government for ferrying doctors and for other COVID-19 related activities.
Olacabs has agreed to give 500 OLA vehicles for #Covid_19 related activities in Karnataka. These vehicles will be used by the government for commute by doctors and Covid 19 related activities. Greatly appreciated move by @olacabs and its CEO @bhash !#IndiaFightsCorona
— Dr. Ashwathnarayan C. N. (@drashwathcn) March 30, 2020
Earlier, Ola had launched ‘Drive the Driver Fund’ under Ola Foundation, as part of which it gave a donation of Rs 20 crore to support auto-rickshaw, cab, kaali-peeli and taxi drivers during the COVID-19 crisis.
Further, Bhavish Aggarwal, co-founder and CEO of Ola announced that he would forgo his salary for one year, which would go towards the fund.
The company, with a global fleet of over 20 lakh driver-partners, aims to raise up to Rs 50 crore via its crowdfunding initiative towards the drivers' fund, Ola said in a statement.
"The crisis at this time has left thousands of drivers who form the backbone of shared mobility without an income. The Ola group has come together to contribute the initial capital for the fund, which can be used to provide immediate aid," said Anand Subramanian, Spokesperson and Head of Communications, Ola.
The initiative would focus on critical areas such as emergency support and essential supplies, which are of prime importance to drivers.
Drivers and their families would also have access to free medical consultation.
Ola Foundation also plans to take up initiatives to support drivers in areas such as aid for children's education amongst others, said the company.
Ola had earlier also announced that it was waiving off lease rentals for all those drivers who got their cars through Ola’s Fleet Technologies under its leasing program. “Driver-Partners who are currently in distress due to the temporary lockdowns to arrest the contagion of COVID-19, will stand to benefit with the reduced economic burden during these times,” Ola said in a statement. Fleet Technologies is a subsidiary of Ola.