Uber has announced a new last mile delivery service and said that it has partnered with BigBasket to provide essential goods and daily need items to consumers amid the ongoing coronavirus lockdown. The company said that its association with BigBasket will comply with all government regulations on hygiene and customers will be served in cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Noida.

The cab aggregator said that it will extend a mix of services such as UberGo, UberXL and UberMOTO, and would share its technology and network of delivery partners to support BigBasket in delivering essential supplies safely to consumers, which would help in reducing the spread of COVID-19.

Prabhjeet Singh, Director-Operations and Head of Cities, Uber India & South Asia 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 and are pleased to partner with BigBasket to support the nation in its hour of need. We stand ready to support all other private and public sector efforts in keeping vital supply chains open and to ensure last mile delivery of everyday supplies, during this current nationwide lockdown.”

Commenting on the partnership, Lalita Aggarwal, National Process Head-Last Mile at BigBasket said, "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."

“We are thankful to Uber India for helping us deliver essential goods to thousands of customers across the country and the opportunity to provide financial sustenance to many drivers and riders during this time. As a brand, we are committed to providing the best possible services to our customers and this partnership with Uber is another step towards that goal," he added.

In line with government guidelines to contain the spread of COVID-19, Uber said all drivers associated with this service have been provided masks, gloves, sanitisers and specialised training to maintain the highest hygiene and safety standards.

First Published:Apr 2, 2020 8:00 PM IST