Ola waives off lease rentals for driver partners over Covid-19 lockdown

Ride-hailing major Ola has waived off lease rentals for its driver-partners who operate vehicles owned by Ola’s subsidiary Ola Fleet Technologies. 

The driver partners have been proposed an option to return cars owned by the company under its leasing program to the nearest designated station.

In exchange, the monthly installments would be waived off retrospecting from March 15, said the company via a press statement. 

Driver-partners who are currently in distress due to the temporary lockdown to arrest the contagion of Covid-19 will stand to benefit with the reduced economic burden during these times, the statement added.

Ola has also announced that it will support its fleet drivers and spouses with insurance benefits against loss of income due to contraction of COVID-19 as well as other medical support across India.

The Prime Minister has announced a complete lockdown in the country for the next three weeks beginning midnight tonight to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.

During these extraordinary times, the Bengaluru-based company is trying to make all the possible efforts to help its driver-partners overcome the distress situation.

Ola has also launched a Covid-19 special fund to help its driver-partners in Australia. 

Separately, its rival Uber has also come up with a similar global fund to support drivers and delivery people diagnosed with Covid-19 or placed in quarantine by a public health authority. 

Indian startups are trying to ensure the safety of their employees during the pandemic. Last week, Urban Company also rolled out Covid-19 health insurance and income protection cover for 30,000 service professionals active on its platform in India. 

Ola, under its leasing program, offers its drivers an option to take a long term lease for a car by charging a deposit and a daily rental amount between Rs 700-Rs 1150 depending on the city and the model of the car leased. 

At the time of leasing, Ola Fleet Technologies charges Rs 4,000 as a non-refundable charge and Rs 21,000-Rs 31,000 as a refundable security deposit depending on the vehicle type.

Ola has limited its services temporarily in the places where the Indian government has imposed a lockdown in all the 75 affected districts, including in Delhi, until further notice.