Residents of Bengaluru, Nashik, Gurugram, and Hyderabad will now be able to utilize ‘Uber Essential’, a new service by the cab-hailing app that will be operational during the extended national lockdown in India.
According to Uber, this will provide reliable transportation for riders to essential service locations such as hospitals and pharmacies.
“The service is focused upon supporting only essential and critical travel with explicit consent of local authorities. We are in consultation with multiple cities and authorities to understand if there is a need a service like this. Based on their advice, we will launch the initiative in more cities in coming weeks,” said Prabhjeet Singh, Director-Operations and Head of Cities, Uber India and South Asia.
All riders on Uber Essential are mandated to carry relevant documentation to validate their purpose of travel to authorities. Before the trip, they will receive reminders through in-app messages and emails about basic steps they can take to help prevent the spread of the virus.
Drivers for this service are being provided masks, gloves, sanitizers, and safety training. They are also being issued curfew passes by local law enforcement authorities to ensure seamless movement to essential service locations.
The Uber Essential service will be accessible through the Uber app. Riders can use the app to check the availability of such cars in their area in approved cities.
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