The New Normal For Cab Aggregators: Masks, Sanitizers And A Will To Go On

With easing of COVID-19 induced lockdowns, several industries are resuming their operations. Since people are the heart and soul of these operations, mobility is the first thing that has to be restored. But how do we return to the normal when there is simply no normal left? We adapt.

Ride hailing firms like Ola and Uber have been battling with this question. Amid movement restrictions due to lockdowns and a grave threat of possibly being the source of transmission of the COVID 19 virus, they have to resume operations. In these tough times, the firms and their drivers have found new friends in masks, sanitisers, disinfectants and even Acrylic sheets to completely segregate the passenger cabin from that of the driver's, a practice we saw in places like China and New York during the early stage of the pandemic. Here is a glimpse of the same in India:

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Great Initiative by @uber_india ! Extra safety precautions for drivers and passengers in (Orange Zones) Gurgaon! What are your thoughts on this? ? : @dixitshubhra014 #follow @wearegurgaon_ for the best of Gurgaon City!

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The new normal

The counter measures adopted by these firms are extreme, common and an indication of the new normal that is to be for the time to come. Apart from the driver partners, commuters using the services are also being requested to strictly adhere to the measures.

With Lockdown 4.0, Ola resumed its operations in 160+ cities across India. These cities are spread across the states of Karnataka, Telangana, Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu (except Chennai), Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Assam.

For now, the Indian counterpart to Uber is following the guidelines issued by the state governments. These include safety measures including social distancing, sanitization measures and personal hygiene etiquette. 5 precautionary steps for driver partners engulf these -

(Image: BCCL)

1. No travel in containment zones - Vehicles will not operate to and from Government identified red or containment zones.
2. Selfie-authentication of drivers - All driver-partners are required to wear masks and need to authenticate this before the start of every ride by sharing a selfie through their partner app.
3. Equipped with hygiene kits - Driver-partners will be provided with masks, sanitizers and disinfectants and can avail these at all walk-in centres across their cities.
4. Cars to be cleaned regularly - Common surfaces like the handle, inner handle and seat to be cleaned before every ride.
5. Flexible cancellations - Drivers and customers are being given the option of cancelling a ride if the other is not wearing a mask to ensure their own safety as well that of subsequent users.

To ensure the safety of their driver partners, Ola has also mentioned steps to be followed by the customers, which state -

1. Wearing a mask, sanitising hands is compulsory for all customers boarding the cab.
2. To avoid re-circulation of air, the AC will be switched off during all rides and windows will be kept open.
3. Only two passengers per ride will be allowed in the cab. They will also be urged to sit by the windows on the rear of the car.
4. Customers are urged to load and unload luggage themselves.
5. Customers are encouraged to make cashless payments for the rides to avoid any unnecessary contact.

Uber is following similar steps. The photo-based verification of drivers is being carried out with a recently developed technology by the company. The service has also enabled cancellation of rides with a new reason citing the absence of masks on the driver or the passenger.

(Image: Uber)

Drivers will have to sanitise their cars after each ride, wherein sanitising supplies will be handed to the drivers through 90 centres set up across 14 cities by the company. The app will direct the drivers to the nearest centre.

Uber also clarified that it will temporarily suspend the accounts of drivers confirmed to have contracted or been exposed to COVID-19. Meanwhile, the company promises to provide them with financial aid for 14 days while their account is on hold.

Extra bit of caution

While the above listed precautions are now mandatory, several drivers are going the extra mile to ensure safety of the passengers as well as themselves. A completely contactless and isolated space is what they are aiming for with each ride. The efforts, however, are not restricted to Uber, Ola and other ride hailing firms.

Ravi, a driver of a fleet meant to ferry government officials to their offices as a part of their essential services, shares his part. ¡°I seat three passengers at the max, with two at the opposite windows at the back and one in front.¡± Masks are mandatory as a golden rule. ¡°I see many wearing gloves too,¡± he says.

The journey is started with a dab of hand sanitiser for all passengers. ¡°The car mostly smells of it,¡± he jokes. AC is operational as an option, though there is no restriction on it. Cars are sanitised twice a day.

Is this the new norm? ¡°It seems so. Every time, the lockdown is extended so that is what we feel,¡± he says. The lockdown isn¡¯t the enemy, I wanted to highlight, the virus is, and while it saddens me to believe so, it is here to stay.

But that won¡¯t help the plight of the driver partners out of jobs with the lockdown, so, maybe Ravi¡¯s thought is more concerning.