Now you can book Ola for visiting hospital amid lockdown as company expands its emergency service – The Financial Express

Cab-booking company Ola has expanded its service for essential non-Covid medical trips — Ola Emergency to Gurugram. The company has launched the service in tie-up with the Haryana government. The cars equipped with masks and sanitizers and will be driven by “specially trained drivers,” Ola said in a statement. More than 100 hospitals are mapped on the app to offer rides to the hospital from home and vice versa. Ola had earlier launched the service in Bengaluru, Vizag, Bhubaneshwar, Nashik and Varanasi.

“Ola Emergency will be available 24×7 and will provide citizens with a reliable, convenient and safe transport solution for medical trips that do not require an ambulance,” said Anand Subramanian, Spokesperson and Head of Communications, Ola. Customers will be charged a nominal fare according to the rate card to compensate driver-partners for their services, the company said.

Also read: Ola to help pay household expenses of drivers impacted by lockdown; announces micro credit scheme

The company has also taken steps on the driver part to help them during the current crisis. Ola recently announced addressing the liquidity needs of more than 1 lakh drivers on its platform by offering interest-free micro-credit under the new initiative Sahyog amid the impact of Coronavirus lockdown. The ‘eligible’ drivers will get a loan up to Rs 3,600 to be disbursed over three weeks that they can use “to pay for their planned household expenses or repayments,” the company said.

Up to Rs 1,200 will be given per week under the scheme, however, this credit “shall be set off against earnings on the platform over a period,” it said once the business returns to normalcy. Ola will disburse these loans via microfinance company Avail Finance to drivers across its categories including Ola Auto, Ola Rentals and Outstation. Ola, however, didn’t specify the eligibility criteria for drivers to benefit from this loan scheme.  Ola had earlier waived off the lease rentals for its drivers operating vehicles owned by its subsidiary Ola Fleet Technologies under its leasing program. Within Karnataka, Ola had said it would give 500 of its vehicles to the state government for doctors to commute and other Covid-19 related activities.

via Now you can book Ola for visiting hospital amid lockdown as company expands its emergency service – The Financial Express