Ride-hailing firm Uber India has launched a last mile delivery service and partnered with online grocery firm Bigbasket, to deliver essentials to customers at their doorstep during the countrywide lockdown.
This will enable Bigbasket to serve its customers across four cities- Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Noida.
Uber plans to expand the new service and is conversation with other companies as well, to make its network for essential services available during a time when there is acute shortage of delivery personnel and a surge in demand for daily, essential goods, a top company executive said.
“This last-mile delivery service provides multiple wins. It supports authorities in containing covid-19, delivers essential supplies in a timely manner to customers and creates earning opportunities for drivers. We will not charge any commissions for our efforts,” said Prabhjeet Singh, Director-Operations and Head of Cities, Uber India & South Asia.
Uber will deploy a mix of UberGo, UberXL and UberMoto vehicles for this service.
“The ongoing pan-India lockdown has led to a disruption in the supply of essential goods, primarily led by a shortage of personnel and delivery vehicles. We are very happy to partner with Uber India for this initiative and we will be utilizing a portion of their huge fleet of cars, bikes as well as personnel to help with our deliveries to fulfill customer orders,” said Lalita Aggarwal, National Process Head-Last Mile, Bigbasket.
In line with government guidelines to contain the spread of covid-19, all drivers associated with this service will be provided masks, gloves, sanitisers and specialized safety training to ensure safety and hygiene.