More than 100,000 drivers on the Uber platform have now received at least one COVID vaccine shot as part of our INR 18.5 crore initiative.  

We have made rapid progress after announcing our first on driver vaccination milestone last month. We’ll continue to encourage more drivers to get vaccine shots at the earliest. More vaccinated drivers mean greater safety on the platform and boosts confidence. 

We have developed a robust tech-enabled validation process to authenticate each vaccination claim by matching driver details registered with Uber with drivers’ digital vaccination certificates extracted from CoWin. Once this process is completed, drivers receive INR 400 for each of the two shots for time spent getting vaccinated. The company is fighting vaccine hesitancy among drivers by using in-app messages, videos and virtual meetings with medical experts to bust myths and spread awareness on vaccination benefits. 

Our support to the Indian government in containing the pandemic has been appreciated. Hon’ble Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), said, “In these difficult times, transportation workers all over the nation have emerged as frontline workers to support essential services. In particular, rideshare drivers have demonstrated the power of the on-demand economy to move personnel, essential supplies, medicines and life-saving equipment. I am pleased to note that Uber India has taken a number of welfare measures towards the health and security of drivers on their platform. In particular, I would like to appreciate the initiative of cash incentives for drivers for two vaccine doses. I appreciate Uber India’s continued commitment to the welfare of the transport sector workers and wish them all the best for future endeavours.” 

We have supported State governments to facilitate free vaccination for drivers in 12 Indian cities including Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Jaipur, Bhopal and Bhubaneswar. We do not differentiate between drivers who have received vaccine shots at private or government facilities and compensate all drivers who produce valid proof of vaccination.

We have supported drivers during the pandemic through various other initiatives including a 14-day partial earning support program for drivers diagnosed with COVID-19. In the unfortunate event of a driver succumbing to COVID-19, we will provide a one-time support package worth INR 75,000 to help meet the immediate needs of surviving family members.

Since the early days of the pandemic, we have always supported and strengthened India’s response to COVID. In March this year, we pledged INR 10 Crores worth of free rides to help people get to and from the nearest vaccine center. In June, we announced additional INR 3.65 crore worth of free rides to facilitate transportation of life-saving oxygen cylinders, concentrators, ventilators and other critical medical equipment, through partnerships with several NGOs specialized in mobilizing emergency assistance to save and sustain lives.