Uber Pledges Free Rides Worth INR 10 Cr To Assist Vaccination Drive

Uber has announced its support for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), State Governments, and local NGOs with free rides worth INR 10 Crores for assisting the second phase of the world’s largest vaccination drive.

The free rides can be utilized to travel to and from the nearest authorized vaccination center by citizens above 60 and 45+ age group with co-morbidities, the target group identified for the second phase of India’s vaccination drive. 

Uber’s initiative will facilitate free rides to vulnerable individuals through easily redeemable promo codes that will make travel to vaccination hubs easier and safer. Uber will also leverage its NGO partners such as the Robin Hood Army and others for transporting the vulnerable and underprivileged elderly to vaccination centers. 

As a part of its support to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for addressing vaccine hesitancy, Uber will spread awareness through its app and social media channels. Additionally, Uber will run a Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign stressing upon the importance of masking, social distancing and other Covid safe behavior even after vaccination. 

Given that drivers on Uber’s platform meet the two main criteria of essentiality and vulnerability, Uber has requested the Central Government to make them eligible for early access to vaccination.

Talking about ongoing discussions with Uber and the partnership, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways, Govt. of India said, “Uber’s commitment to offer free rides worth INR 10 crores to help citizens travel to and from the vaccine hubs is praiseworthy as it will facilitate safe mobility options for vulnerable citizens. In India’s fight against COVID-19, public-private partnerships will play a critical role in removing barriers to vaccine access and helping people stay safe. From the start of the pandemic, Uber has acted as a responsible corporate citizen by helping transport frontline healthcare workers and in delivering essential supplies to citizen’s homes. We look forward to working with Uber in helping our cities move again.’’

Speaking about Uber’s efforts, Prabhjeet Singh, President, Uber India and South Asia, said, “We feel privileged to support the government’s tireless efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19. Our efforts in this partnership will be focused on providing safe and timely transport options for the most vulnerable sections of our population. As a part of our commitment to #MoveWhatMatters globally, we will continue to support vaccination drives so that affected communities can quickly recover from the pandemic and rebuild their lives.”