‘Ola Emergency’ launched in Bengaluru for essential medical trips in partnership with Ministry of Health, KA

Service begins in Bengaluru with a network of trained drivers and clean and equipped cars; looks to launch in other major cities soon
Ola has enabled over 200+ Hospitals in Bengaluru to provide the service to citizens
Service
Service in the city to enable medical trips that are non-COVID and do not require an ambulance

Bengaluru, April 7, 2020: Ola, India’s leading mobility platform and one of the world’s largest ride hailing companies, today announced the launch of ‘Ola Emergency’ on its app to enable essential medical trips on its platform in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Government of Karnataka. The new category will bring a much needed mobility solution for many citizens who do not have a mode of transport to access a hospital in case of a medical emergency.

‘Ola Emergency’ is available in Bengaluru starting today with a network of cars that are equipped with masks and sanitizers and will be operated by specially trained drivers. To book an ‘Ola Emergency’ cab, citizens can select the category “Enabled for Hospitals” on their Ola app, and enter the drop location from a list of available hospitals in the city. Ola has enabled over 200 hospitals on its app to provide the service and ensure cabs are used only for essential medical travel. The service will be available across Bengaluru and is slated to soon launch in other major cities.

Shri B. Sriramulu, Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka speaking at the launch said “After the lockdown, for COVID-19 all 108 ambulances are being used. To ensure citizens are not troubled, Ola has come forward and will transport people with all cases of medical trips and emergencies that don’t require an ambulance, between homes and hospitals, for a minimal charge. This permission has been provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, to provide an essential service to the citizens in need.”

Speaking on ‘Ola Emergency’ services, Anand Subramanian, Spokesperson and Head of Communications, Ola, said, “Ola Emergency will help thousands of citizens get access to quick, convenient and safe transport for trips from home to hospital and vice versa, amidst the minimal availability of transportation during this time. With a dedicated network of sanitised cars and trained drivers, the service will be available 24×7 on the Ola app for citizens of Bengaluru.”

He further added, “We thank the Karnataka State Govt for the opportunity to collaborate in serving our citizens in these challenging times. We will continue to collaborate with Central and State Governments to provide hassle-free mobility solutions for essential travel and make similar services available in more cities soon.”

Ola is working with the authorities to ensure all drivers and cars are equipped with essential protective equipment like masks and sanitizers, and will ensure the service is used only for medical travel that is non-COVID and doesn’t require an ambulance like dialysis, chemotherapy, scheduled check-ups and physical injuries among others. Customers will be charged a nominal fare to compensate driver-partners for their services.

Last week, Ola collaborated with the Karnataka State Government and stakeholders like the Corona Task Force, to help ferry senior citizens in need of medical support across Bangalore, and Hubli-Dharwad. Through ‘Ola Foods’ the company has been supporting various efforts to provide migrant workers with quality, hygienic food in Bengaluru. Additionally, Ola Foundation, the social welfare arm of the company, had recently launched the ‘Drive the Driver Fund’ to support cab, auto-rickshaw, and kaali-peeli taxi drivers across the country, through contributions from the Ola Group and through a crowdfunding platform for citizens and institutions.

About Ola:
Ola is India’s largest mobility platform and one of the world’s largest ride-hailing companies, serving 250+ cities across India, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. The Ola app offers mobility solutions by connecting customers to drivers and a wide range of vehicles across bikes, auto-rickshaws, metered taxis, and cabs, enabling convenience and transparency for hundreds of millions of consumers and over 2 million driver-partners.

Ola’s core mobility offering in India is supplemented by its electric-vehicle arm, Ola Electric; India’s largest fleet management business, Ola Fleet Technologies and Ola Skilling that aims to enable millions of livelihood opportunities for India’s youth. With its acquisition of Ridlr, India’s leading public transportation app and investment in Vogo, a dockless scooter sharing solution, Ola is looking to build mobility for the next billion Indians. Ola also extends its consumer offerings like micro-insurance and credit led payments through Ola Financial Services and a range of owned food brands through India’s largest network of kitchens under its Food business.

Ola was founded in 2011 by Bhavish Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati with a mission to build mobility for a billion people. For more details, visit www.olacabs.com/media.