Ola Resumes Services in More States, Now Operational in Over 160 Cities

Cab aggregator Ola's services will resume in more cities across India today, including the states of Karnataka, Telangana, Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu (except Chennai), Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Assam, based on the guidelines issued by the state governments as part of the fourth phase of coronavirus lockdown, the company said. With the latest round of service resumption, Ola services will now be available in over 160 cities.

Cab services were suspended ever since the lockdown was imposed in March to contain coronavirus.

The company said it has mandated driver-partners and customers to follow five-precautionary steps each, encouraging them to practice social distancing, sanitisation measures, and personal hygiene etiquette at all times.

The resumption also brings relief to the families of cab and auto-rickshaw drivers who had lost their source of income due to the COVID-19 induced lockdown, it said.

Ola said it is committed to raising the standards of safety and hygiene with its various initiatives to secure the well-being of both driver-partners and customers.

“In all of the 160+ cities where Ola is now operational, enhanced safety protocols are applicable across every single trip,” Ola said in a statement. “This includes compulsory mask usage for driver-partners and passengers, complete sanitisation of cars post-trips, adhering to social distancing norms by limiting to two passengers per ride amongst other key steps through our '10 Steps to a Safer Ride' initiative.' We urge all users to strictly adhere to local guidelines to undertake only essential trips with all safety precautions.”

There will be only two passengers in the car for social distancing who will sit by the windows on the rear of the car.

To avoid unnecessary contact, Ola said it requested passengers to prefer cashless payments.