Ride hailing platform Uber has partnered with automotive major Bajaj to work with auto drivers to install safety partitions just behind the driver seat in 1 lakh autos across the country. This partition will act as a protective barrier to restrict contact and to facilitate physical distancing between drivers and riders.
Uber said in a statement that along with the partitions, safety kits consisting of face masks, hand sanitizers and vehicle disinfectants will also be distributed to these auto-rickshaw drivers across 20 cities including New Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mysore, Madurai, among others.
Additionally, Uber says that it has also been leveraging its technology to provide drivers mandatory specialized training modules via the Uber app on the correct usage of PPE and sanitisation protocols for their vehicles.
“As our country opens up, we at Bajaj Auto are keen to assist our driver partners in giving a safe ride to their customers. Towards that we are reaching out to more than 1 lakh drivers to install safety partitions and deliver disinfection kits irrespective of the make of the vehicle,” Talking about the partnership, Samardeep Subandh, President, Intra-city Business, Bajaj Auto said.
To maintain safety and hygiene, Uber has launched a comprehensive set of safety measures, such as the Go Online Checklist, a mandatory mask policy for both riders and drivers, pre-trip mask verification selfies for drivers, mandatory driver education and an updated cancellation policy allowing both riders and driver to cancel trips if they don’t feel safe.
“Our partnership with Bajaj, one of the most trusted and respected brands in India, demonstrates our commitment to the safety of everyone who uses our platform. Over the coming few months, we will leverage our close ties to continue to instil confidence in our driver partners and provide peace of mind for millions of our riders,” Nandini Maheshwari, Director, Business Development, Uber APAC, said in a statement.
Uber said that as cities start to reopen, its rides business is seeing green shoots of recovery, with low cost products like Moto and Auto recovering faster than other categories.
Uber and Bajaj’s latest safety initiative follows the earlier high-profile June 2019 launch of Bajaj Qute on UberXS, a brand-new category launched on Uber’s platform, to provide smart and affordable mobility solutions for residents of Bangalore.