Coronavirus Outbreak: Ola launches fund to help drivers, to give Rs 1,000 daily for 21 days

Amid nationwide lockdown over the novel coronavirus crisis, Indian cab aggregator Ola has said it will give Rs 1,000 per day to its drivers for up to 21 days. 

The decision has been taken by the company considering its driver-partners are facing economic challenges due to the 21-day lockdown over coronavirus outbreak. 

"Ola is leading efforts and expanding assistance to help alleviate financial burdens and mitigate the negative socio-economic impact of COVID-19," the company said in a press release. 

It has launched 'Drive the Driver fund' under Ola Foundation to help the driver community and their families across India irrespective of their company affiliation. The fund, created with an initial capital of Rs 20 crore, will help drivers of autos, cabs, kaali-peelis and taxis. 

Founder-CEO of Ola, Bhavish Aggarwal will forgo his salary for a year for the fund. 

The company said it intends to raise up to Rs 50 crore through a crowdfunding campaign to enable citizens to "lend a helping hand."

The money collected through the campaign will be used to send care packages with food staples for drivers and their families, provide emergency support for critical illnesses (not limited to COVID-19) and provide medical Insurance for COVID-19 for drivers and their families. 

Besides, it has launched several relief measures for its driver-partners including waiving lease rentals for those who operate vehicles owned by Ola Fleet Technologies. 

The company said it will also provide relief to cash-strapped driver-partners or those who are facing liquidity crunch through ‘Sahyog’. The scheme will provide interest-free micro-credit, enabling drivers to get instant access to instant cash, Ola said. 

It will also give a daily compensation Rs 1000 for a maximum of 21 days. Free doctor consultations for driver-partners and their families in partnership with Mfine has also been launched, the company said. 

This comes the government has imposed a nationwide lockdown for 21 days to combat the spread of coronavirus. The restrictions on the movement of all but essential vehicles have created a crisis for daily earners like drivers and labourers. 

So far, 1637 confirmed coronavirus cases have been reported from different parts of the country. It includes 38 deaths and 132 patients who have been discharged after treatment.