Driver partners on Uber’s platform have begun receiving the first batch of grants from Rs 25 crore deposited by Uber into the Uber Care Driver Fund, the company said in a statement.
This fund was created in partnership with social enterprises Give India and Samhita.
The Uber Care Driver Fund is directly transferring small grants into the accounts of thousands of driver-partners every day to help them meet their immediate and essential family needs.
Uber aims to raise an additional Rs 25 crore to reach a combined target of Rs 50 crore, through contributions from its employees, riders, CSR funds and citizens through a partnership with Milaap, a leading crowdfunding organization, to help look after the welfare and wellbeing of driver partners on its platform.
So far Uber employees have contributed Rs 17 lakh to the fund. Besides all other driver partners, the fund will also disburse grants to UberMedic, Uber Essential and Uber’s last-mile delivery service drivers, who have recently been transporting frontline workers, providing essential rides to the elderly and moving everyday supplies to thousands of homes for helping contain the spread of COVID-19 across India.
Announcing details of this financial package, Pradeep Parameswaran, President, Uber India and South Asia, said, “Driver partners are at the heart of our business and I have always said there is no Uber without drivers. Supporting driver communities has never been more important. We hope this first financial relief package for driver partners helps them and their families cover their immediate and urgent daily needs. In the coming days and weeks, we will first be fundraising, and then providing driver partners additional outright grants, from the Uber Care Driver Fund. Today, I’m appealing to millions of our riders, corporate partners, philanthropists as well as the general public to support our efforts and truly show they care.’’
Over the next few days, Uber is also rolling out a Hospital Cash Insurance policy which will benefit driver partners, and cover COVID-19 and other illnesses which require hospitalization, for up to 14 days.
All the measures announced today are over and above the following driver support initiatives already announced by Uber over the past few weeks such as EMI relief, Uber Care Micro Credit and free medical consultations, among others.