Hyderabad: Shaik Salauddin general secretary Indian Federation of App-Based Transport workers ( IFAT ) said in a statement that Ola, Uber drivers, and food delivery riders risk their safety with no health advisory or emergency measures in place for COVID-19/ Coronavirus infections.
Due to the Coronavirus or COVID-19, many companies in India have allowed their employees to either work remotely from their homes or even go on paid leaves. But that luxury is not possible for drives of cab aggregators like Ola and Uber and food delivery riders.
“Even after knowing that coronavirus has spread to Hyderabad, I still have to travel at least 250 km/day to complete daily targets,” says a driver of Ola/Uber on condition of anonymity. Like him, millions of other Ola and Uber drivers and food delivery riders have continued to ferry passengers and food even in cities where quite a few individuals have already been diagnosed of being affected by the deadly virus. There has been the case of a Pune Ola driver getting tested positive for the infection when he had shuttled a couple from Mumbai airport to Pune on 1st March.
App-based drivers have to venture out in public to earn a living, making them vulnerable targets to virus infection. This surely raises a question on the corporate social responsibility of Ola and Uber and food delivery companies towards their drivers, which, in this case, seems to be lacking altogether.
Most of the drivers on the roads have either no clue or have half-baked information about the seriousness of the situation. Only some seemed to be more aware of it. There are a few drivers that have started wearing masks, which is a basic precaution.
“Ola and Uber and food delivery companies are essentially not taking the health and safety of its customers and drivers as a matter of priority and urgency in these dark times. They are claiming to have set up walk-in centers in affected cities with supplies of health advisory material, sanitizers, disinfectants, and masks. These claims are only for window dressing. Instead what Ola & Uber should be doing is to employ extra staff to reach out to the drivers at important and vantage pick up points in cities to distribute IEC material and disinfectants and sanitizers. The drivers cannot afford to go all the way searching for walk-in centers at the cost of losing valuable time and earnings.” says Shaik Salauddin, National General Secretary, Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT).
There is a need for massive outreach to educate and recommended personal hygiene ‘through a dedicated preparedness module’ for app-based drivers. It is also necessary to inform customers/passengers to adhere to health guidelines including personal hygiene and seeking immediate medical attention if they have any flu-like symptoms.
“Ola and Uber need to set up a task force consisting of members from various internal departments to ensure continuous monitoring and support for all stakeholders. Driver care teams, safety response teams should be available 24×7 for any concerns that may arise for drivers and customers respectively”, says Kamaljeet Singh, from Delhi who is also the National Vice President of IFAT.
K. Somashekar leader of app-based drivers’ Union in Karnataka and an office-bearer of IFAT adds, “We know that in Australia and America ride-sharing firms Uber and Lyft have announced that they will be offering their drivers and delivery riders who have been diagnosed with coronavirus or have to go into quarantine with 14 days of paid sick leave. Similar relief for the drivers should also be announced in India”.
Dharmendra Vaishnav who has organized Swiggy and Zomato food delivery drivers in Jaipur says, “We visit homes and cannot avoid social contact with customers. If we wear a mask, customers ask us if we are infected or our hands are clean. This is demeaning. The companies are not bothered”
Shaik Salauddin said IFAT has written to Central government and state governments requesting relevant authorities, agencies, and ministries to take these issues into account and direct the app-based companies to take appropriate steps to ensure the safety and wellbeing of app-based drivers and passengers and food delivery riders.
On its behalf, IFAT Unions in Hyderabad will be distributing 5,000 thousand masks to the Cab drivers at Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi International Airport Ola Uber parking.
IFAT has also issued advisories to its Unions in many states to strictly adopt standard operating procedures to reduce general risks of transmission while on duty. These include:
• Avoiding close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections.
• Frequent hand-washing, especially after direct contact with suspected or affected people or their environment. • Regular use of sanitizers, disinfectants to clean seats, doors, handles and other parts of cab touched or used by drivers/passengers.
• Keeping spare masks for self-use by drivers or for passengers who may need them.
YTN STAFF
