Uber pledges free rides worth Rs 50 lakh for vaccinating India’s elderly

With the aim to support the vaccination of senior citizens, ride-hailing major Uber on Thursday partnered with the volunteer based organisation Robin Hood Army (RHA) to provide free rides worth Rs 50 lakh to its 'Senior Patrol programme'.

As RHA's mobility partner, Uber will provide free rides to the vulnerable elderly to and from vaccine centres to receive their doses across 53 Indian cities, where both Uber and RHA operate.

"We're thrilled to be joining forces with our valued partner, the Robin Hood Army, for supporting the vaccination of vulnerable communities in these challenging times," Prabhjeet Singh, President, Uber India and South Asia, said in a statement.

"This will help them recover from the pandemic, rebuild their lives and support the nation's economic recovery. In the weeks and months ahead, Uber will continue to remain committed to supporting vaccination drives for vulnerable communities," Singh added.

Under the partnership, RHA volunteers will help thousands of vulnerable senior citizens, including those living in old age homes and poorer neighbourhoods, register with the CoWin app and then transport them to get inoculated.

Uber's offer is a part of its recently announced pledge to support the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), state governments and local NGOs with free rides worth Rs 10 crores during the second phase of the world's largest vaccination drive.

Earlier in August, 2020, Uber partnered with RHA to help deliver free meals for the hungry, and those worst impacted by the Covid pandemic.

In addition to supporting the world's largest vaccination drive, these free rides to vulnerable citizens will further boost earning opportunities for drivers on Uber's platform during these challenging times.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the ride-hailing major has announced multiple initiatives to support local authorities, civil society organisations and state governments.

In 2020, Uber partnered with Indian NGOs such as HelpAge India, CHILDLINE 1098 and the National Association for the Blind to provide mobility options for some of India's most vulnerable citizens.

It also facilitated over 280,000 free rides to the National Health Authority (NHA) as well as various state governments for transporting thousands of frontline healthcare workers and volunteers.