New Delhi:Ride-hailing platforms Ola and Uber on Monday announced resuming operations in more cities, including Delhi and Bengaluru, following new guidelines for the fourth phase of the lockdown.
Cab services were suspended for more than 50 days in Delhi and Bengaluru due to restrictions imposed by the government to contain the spread of coronavirus.
"In compliance with Lockdown 4.0 guidelines by the Government, Uber is resuming services across more cities in India. Riders will constantly be notified with further information and the status of specific cities through our app," it said in a blogpost.
With the 10 new cities, Uber will be available in total of 35 cities in the country. The company had earlier resumed operations in 25 cities.
Ola said driver-partners operating three and four-wheelers on the platform will be available in the states of Karnataka, Telangana, Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu (except Chennai), Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Assam.
"This also brings relief to millions of drivers-partners whose livelihoods depend on serving citizens on a daily basis. In all of the over 160 cities where Ola is now operational, enhanced safety protocols are applicable across every single trip," Ola said in response to an emailed query.
In Delhi, taxis and cabs will be allowed but only two passengers at a time will be allowed in the car.
According to industry executives, services for travelling between locations in two states (for example, Delhi and Gurugram) will still not be available under the current rules.
Ola and Uber outlined steps for ensuring the safety of riders and driver-partners.
Ola said its safety protocol includes compulsory mask usage for driver-partners and passengers, complete sanitisation of cars post-trips, and adhering to social distancing norms by limiting to two passengers per ride.