'Ola Emergency' launched for hospital runs amid COVID-19 outbreak
As India goes into the second phase of the lockdown enforced to combat the spread of COVID-19, Ola is lending a helping hand to the public. The ride-hailing giant, which had suspended its passenger services weeks ago in compliance with the government's orders, has launched 'Ola Emergency', a service to let people make quick hospital runs during the outbreak. Here's all about it.
Lockdown has restricted public transportation
The lockdown enforced by the government has brought all public transportation to a halt, including the movements of private buses, taxis, autorickshaws, and e-rickshaws. The restriction has not just affected the earning of daily wagers but also created problems for people who have to visit hospitals, be it for a scheduled check-up, chemotherapy, or the treatment of an unexpected physical injury.
This is where Ola Emergency comes in
To help people at a time like this, Ola Emergency is being offered in select Indian cities. The service lets you book an emergency ride - just how you book a Mini/Micro - for a quick medical trip to and from any hospital in the city. However, Ola says that it is only available for non-COVID-19 trips that do not need an ambulance.
Specially-trained drivers will handle these trips
As for the service being offered, Ola claims that only specially-trained drivers will be allowed to handle these rides. Plus, the passengers will also get protective materials, including sanitizers and face masks, to protect themselves from contracting COVID-19 in any way. The company has partnered with several state governments to ensure safe home-to-hospital passage of vehicles throughout the lockdown.
These cities currently offer Ola Emergency
At the time of writing, Ola Emergency rides are providing access to hundreds of hospitals in Bengaluru, Gurgaon, Delhi, Noida, Vizag, Bhubaneshwar, Nashik and Varanasi. The work is going on to add more cities to the list, which we don't think would be a problem given the massive scale of Ola's fleet. However, the timeline of the wider roll-out is not clear yet.
Uber is also taking a similar approach
Just like Ola, Uber is also deploying a small portion of its fleet for emergency and essential services in select Indian cities. The American ride-hailing giant has also collaborated with BigBasket and Flipkart to enable the delivery of essential goods during the crisis - and keep its business running even when people are not riding cabs.
