With lockdown extended for the third time by another two weeks till May 17, government allowed e-commerce firms and ride-hailing companies to resume their services in selected cities. Therefore, Ola too has started its operations in a comparatively safe region i.e. orange zones like the Ghaziabad city and others.

The company has issued a new safety initiative, ‘10 steps to a safer ride’ to contain the spread of coronavirus caused Covid-19. This initiative is in line with the company’s announcement to recommence operations in across 100+ Indian cities, starting from May 4.

“Ola’s ‘10 steps to a safer ride’ initiative emphasizes the importance of both the customers and driver partners to contribute equally to ensure safety during all rides, the company said in a statement.

“As a protocol, all rides will be driven only across the identified safe zones and to ensure every driver-partner adheres to the safety rules, a mandatory selfie authentication mechanism has been put into place before and after every ride,” it added.

Furthermore, the company said all cars will be cleaned and sanitized after each ride Andy has also introduced a flexible cancellation policy through which both the customer and driver-partner can cancel the ride if they feel the other party is not following the rules or not wearing a mask.

The company has issued different set of guidelines for both the driver and the customer.

 For Driver-partners:

No travel of Ola cabs in red zones: Ola cabs will not operate to and from Government identified red zones
2. Selfie-authentication of drivers: All driver-partners are required to wear masks and will need to authenticate this before the start of every ride by sharing a selfie through the driver-partner app
3. Equipped with hygiene kits: Driver-partners will be provided with masks, sanitizers and disinfectants and can re-stock these at walk-centres across their respective cities
4. Cars to be sanitized regularly: Common surfaces like the handle, inner handle and seat to be cleaned before every ride.
5. Flexible cancellations: As a strong measure, driver-partners and customers have been given the option of cancelling the ride if the other is not wearing a mask to ensure not only their safety but also that of those availing the service after.

For Customers:

Wearing of masks is compulsory: All customers need to wear masks and should sanitize before and after every ride
2. AC to be switched off: To avoid re-circulation of air, the AC will be switched off and windows will be kept open
3. 2 passengers per car: Only two passengers apart from the driver-partner will be allowed in the cab per ride
4. Load and unload luggage themselves: To help maintain social distancing, customers are urged to load and unload luggage themselves
5. Cashless payments: Customers are encouraged to go cashless to avoid unnecessary contact.

Speaking about the initiative company’s spokesperson and Head of Communications, Anand Subramanian said, “10 steps to a safer ride’ is a call to action for customers, driver-partners to adopt 10 best hygiene practices together for minimizing the risks of the Coronavirus on themselves and the communities. In our effort to further flatten the curve, adopting a united front and undertaking the necessary preventive steps will lead to better outcomes.”

Complying with the Government’s regulations, Ola cabs will only operate in permissible orange and green zones while adhering to the safety norms stipulated by the Ministry of Health.

Apart from Ghaziabad, Ola’s services will also resume in cities across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Assam, amongst others. Starting from May 4, operations will be launched in a phased manner across Tier 1, 2 and 3 cities.

As of now, the company has issued similar guidelines in all cities where it has already resumed its services.