Ola, Uber Start Services In Bengaluru For Non-COVID-19 Hospital Visits

The Karnataka government has entered into an agreement with app-based taxi services Uber and Ola Cabs to help transport people to the nearest pre-approved hospitals in case of medical emergencies other than those relating to COVID-19 infection, Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu has confirmed.

"The government has noticed that people who are not infected (by COVID-19) are inconvenienced by the lack of public vehicles if they need to go to the hospital for treatment.To provide (this) service in such an emergency Ola Cabs and Uber have accepted and launched their services in Bengaluru," Mr Sriramulu tweeted on Tuesday.

This service will initially be available only in Bengaluru but is expected to expand to other cities soon.

Anand Subramanian, Ola spokesperson told NDTV, "We launched Ola emergency, a new category on the app in partnership with the ministry of health of the government of Karnataka. Ola emergency as a category allows citizens to go to and from hospitals. This means they can easily access a safe, reliable convenient ride straight from their Ola app in the city of Bangalore."

This would help those who need to make trips for dialysis, chemotherapy or other emergencies.

"The cars (100 have been allotted so far) will be equipped with face masks and hand sanitisers and will be operated by specially trained drivers, Ola said in a statement released on Tuesday.

"Citizens can select "enabled for hospitals" on their Ola app and enter the drop location from a list of available hospitals in the city. Ola has enabled over 200 hospitals on its app and (will) ensure cabs are used only for essential medical travel," the statement said.

Elderly need care? Had a minor a accident or anything in between.
We get that. Launching ‘Ola Emergency' a special service which takes you to and from the hospital in Bangalore at times when you absolutely need it. #StrongerTogether Read more here https://t.co/oOF1kEcE3W pic.twitter.com/1M7TzL8eSF

— Ola (@Olacabs) April 8, 2020

"Ola is working with authorities to ensure all drivers and cars are equipped with essential protective equipment... and will ensure the service is used only for medical travel that is non-COVID and doesn't require an ambulance, such as dialysis, chemotherapy, scheduled check-ups and physical injuries among others," the company explained.

Customers will be charged a nominal fare to compensate the drivers for their service.

Coronavirus: Ola cabs taken off road during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 21-day "total lockdown"

This comes a week after Ola and the Karnataka government came to an agreement to allot 500 of its cabs to ferry doctors and healthcare workers, as well as medicines and medical equipment.

These services will be available in Bengaluru, Mysore, Mangalore, Hubli-Dharwad and Belagavi districts of the state, Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwathnarayan confirmed.

App-based taxi providers like Ola and Uber were largely taken off road last month after Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed a 21-day nationwide "total lockdown" to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The lockdown, under the terms of which only grocery stories, pharmacies and vegetable vendors are allowed to stay open, is expected to end April 14, although the centre is considering requests from some state governments to extend this date.

Tens of thousands of cabs have been parked up across the country with drivers left unemployed.

Like the Karnataka government, online grocery delivery platforms BigBasket (based out of Bengaluru) and Grofers (based out of Gurgaon near Delhi) have also taken advantage of this fact and begun working with app-based taxis and others for "last-mile delivery".

On Monday Uber also confirmed it had "joined hands with (online retailer) Flipkart to make sure that everything you need reaches you at your doorstep".

We've joined hands with @Flipkart to make sure that everything you need reaches you at your doorstep. Stay home and limit the spread. https://t.co/sGeVRykQvD

— Uber India (@Uber_India) April 6, 2020

There are over 5,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases across the country with at least 149 deaths linked to the virus. Worldwide the virus that originated in China's Wuhan district in December last year has infected 1.43 million people and killed over 82,000.

With input from PTI