The effort is both public-spirited, and self-interested.
Ride-hailing demand is ramping up throughout the United
States from pandemic-induced lows, but drivers are still slow to return to the
road, slowing the companies' efforts to rebuild revenues.
Lack of transportation is a major hurdle to healthcare
equity and vaccine access, and studies show fewer options for medical care in
low-income and Black communities, which are frequently poorly served by public
transit and have lower car ownership rates.
At Uber, a large team of employees has started calling
thousands of drivers who left the platform over the past year, asking them what
they need to return, Uber US and Canada Head of Driver Operations Carrol Chang
told Reuters.
The company is trying to address drivers' main concerns -
safety and earnings - through mask mandates, a vaccination partnership with
Walgreen's and $250 million (roughly Rs. 1,868 crores) in pay guarantees and
incentives.
The Walgreen's partnership has allowed Uber to distribute
unique codes to more than 240,000 drivers in several states, including
California, Illinois, Virginia and New Jersey, allowing them to book a
vaccination appointment at the pharmacy chain.
Lyft said it is emailing drivers when they become eligible
for vaccination in their states. The company requires masks and offers pay
incentives and promotions in select markets.
Julia Paige, Uber's director of social impact, who is in
charge of the vaccine rides programme, said that in her conversations with
company management "I really tried to show people that there are times
when doing good is good for business."
While Uber has not disclosed the costs of the largely
self-funded vaccination programmes, analysts estimate the roughly 10 million free
and discounted rides the company has promised will cost $50 million to $100
million.
Lyft said its vaccine rides are paid for in partnership with
corporate sponsors, including JPMorgan Chase, Anthem, and Target, and private
donations.
Officials in Chicago, New Orleans and Jersey City, New
Jersey, and nonprofit groups working with the companies said the rides have
allowed thousands of people to get vaccinated who otherwise likely would not
have gotten a shot.
"There's a huge swath of people sitting on the fence
about this vaccine, and only if they have access to it they'll get it
done," said Tamara Mahal, leader of the Chicago health department's
vaccine operation, which has partnered with Uber to offer free rides to 5,000
people.
The Uber and Lyft vaccine rides can be booked by cities or
nonprofits on behalf of residents, or by passengers through access codes.
Drivers receive the regular fare for the trips, an important element for nonprofit
United Way, which partnered with Lyft.
"People who are driving for Lyft and Uber are
financially challenged in our society and this creates more work for
them," said Suzanne McCormick, the organization's president.
Uber and Lyft say they are not collecting passenger data for
vaccine rides, and the data is protected by health privacy laws.
Some city and nonprofit partners said the vaccine service
has introduced older people and those in transit deserts to the potential
benefits of ride-hail services.
Uber and Lyft have both set up fledgling health businesses,
aimed at providing non-emergency medical rides to cities and healthcare
facilities. Many of the vaccination rides are provided through those health
units, and closer ties with government agencies and healthcare providers could
spell more business opportunities down the road.
Lyft said rides to vaccine centres organised through its
healthcare unit were paid for by the clinics and facilities booking them, but
counted toward its vaccine access campaign goal.
In New Orleans, Uber is providing a total of 20,000 free or
reduced-price rides to the city's mass vaccination sites. Laura Mellem, public
engagement officer of New Orleans' office of homeland security and emergency
preparedness, said the city was so happy with the partnership that it was
discussing how Uber could help with evacuations during the yearly hurricane
season.
City officials said their vaccine collaboration with the
companies does not change their outlook on other issues, such as driver pay,
taxation and congestion, which have frequently caused rifts between local
regulators and Uber and Lyft.
In Jersey City, across the Hudson River from New York City,
Mayor Steven Fulop said the city is working with Uber to provide 12,000 free
round trip rides, mainly to seniors. Jersey City has in the past enacted
regulations Uber opposed, such as caps on food delivery fees delivery companies
can charge restaurants.
"We've differed with Uber plenty in the past, but it
doesn't mean that we're going to just differ on everything for the sake of
disagreeing. Here, we have an overlapping interest and I'm happy to work with
them," Fulop said.
© Reuters
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