New Delhi: Online cab booking platform Uber has joined hands with the Delhi government to install safety screens in 10,000 auto-rickshaws to act as a barrier between the driver and passengers as part of social distancing to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
These screens will be installed in all auto-rickshaws on a first-come, first-serve basis, reports said on Saturday.
“Many people still have a doubtful and apprehensive approach towards the corona vaccination. It is important to clear these doubts and for them to get vaccinated at the earliest,” Uber said in a statement.
The company also said that they will get their auto-drivers vaccinated free of cost, at the earliest.
Delhi State Transportation minister Kailash Gehlot said the auto drivers will be given financial assistance. Safety screens will provide safety to both the drivers and passengers.
Last year, Uber had proposed the installation of safety screens in auto-rickshaws. A safety screen is a plastic curtain-like sheet is hung right behind the driver’s seat, thereby separating the driver’s chamber from the passenger’s.
So far, Uber has successfully installed 1.6 lakh screens in their partnered auto-rickshaws across the country. The company also announced an incentive package of Rs. 1.85 crore for its driver-partners.
The company has a total of 37,000 vaccinated drivers and hopes that approximately 1.5 lakh drivers will be vaccinated by the end of this year.
(Avya Mathur)