COVID-19 Lockdown: Ola, Uber Resume Cab Services In Over 160 Indian Cities

Ola is giving drivers and customers an option of cancelling the ride if anyone of them is seen not wearing the mask. To avoid re-circulation of air, the AC will be switched off and windows will be kept open during all rides.

(Representative Image/ Getty)

New Delhi: Ride hailing service Ola on Monday said it has resumed normal ride operations in more than 160 cities with enhanced safety protocols applicable with every trip as per the state governments guidelines. The company said that driver-partners operating three and four-wheelers on the platform will be available to serve mobility needs on Ola app, with highest levels of safety precautions in Covid-19 sensitive states like Karnataka, Telangana, Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu (except Chennai), Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Assam. The safety protocols include "compulsory mask usage for driver-partners and passengers, complete sanitization of cars post-trips, adhering to social distancing norms by limiting to two passengers per ride amongst other key steps through our '10 Steps to a Safer Ride' initiative," a company spokesperson said in a statement. Ola vehicles will not operate to and from government identified red or containment zones. "All driver-partners are required to wear masks and need to authenticate this before the start of every ride by sharing a selfie through their partner app," said Ola. Ola is giving drivers and customers an option of cancelling the ride if anyone of them is seen not wearing the mask. To avoid re-circulation of air, the AC will be switched off and windows will be kept open during all rides. Meanwhile, Uber India said it has resumed ride services in 34 cities. The company said that riders will constantly be notified with further information and the status of specific cities through its app. Among the cities when Uber has resumed operations are Gurugram, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Guwahati, Kochi, Udaipur, Vapi and Visakhapatnam. Not more than two riders would be allowed, besides the driver and no one should be seated right next to the driver.