Ever since the Coronavirus or COVID-19 broke out in Wuhan, China, it has spread throughout the world at a very rapid pace. A virus supposedly born in the meat market has now reached all parts of the world like wildfire. With more than ten million positive cases so far, it shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. And the biggest issue of all is that there’s no medicine to cure this deadly virus.
The only thing in our hands is keeping good hygiene and sanitization practices, boosting our immunity, and maintaining social distancing. This sounds very easy to hear, but following through is another story. Every day we get to see on the television so many people that are found guilty of breaking simple orders like staying inside their homes, or public spitting.
All these have resulted in a huge spike in the number of people who tested positive for COVID-19, both in India and across the globe. Thereby, to stop any further spread of the disease, governments all over the world have implemented lockdowns and quarantines to keep people safe.
In India, this meant that no one was allowed to leave their home to go to offices, schools, colleges, or any other place unless there was a medical emergency. And to make sure that people followed the orders, the government shut down all modes of public transport like planes, trains, buses, taxis, and autos.
While this was a great step to keep people from going out, but it also had a major setback. For many frontline warriors like doctors, medical practitioners, people employed in news outlets, police, and emergency workers, public transport is a primary source of commute. But with the lockdown in place, they were facing problems going to work and then back home, without any modes of transport available.
But thanks to technology and the innovative and creative efforts of some startups, this problem has been solved. A lot of upcoming mobility startups have come to the rescue of our frontline worker in this time of need. Not only have they provided a reliable commute for people in need but also played a major role in the delivery of essential goods to people.
Here is the list of the 8 mobility startup services that have come through and helped provide many essential services to the frontline workers as well as the public in general.
8 Mobility Startups Helping Frontline Workers
1. Bounce
This Bengaluru based startup provides service of renting two wheeler automobiles. Currently, Bounce is available in selected cities that include Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mysore, and Jaipur, among other cities.
On Bounce, anyone can rent a vehicle at really affordable rates starting from 49 or 89 rupees per day. You also get the option to rent an automobile for longer periods, like 30 days or 60 days. During the times of this pandemic, Bounce also introduced a new option where vehicle owners can also give their idle vehicles on rent to earn some extra income.
2. eBikeGo
One of the first of its kind e-bike rental startup service, eBikeGo, was launched in Amritsar. It’s a revolutionary startup where customers can get their e-scooters at really affordable prices. The vehicle can run up to 70 km after a single charge.
As of now, eBikeGo is available in all major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Banglore, Hyderabad and will soon be starting to extend its service to another forty plus cities. With a load capacity of up to 200 kgs, this e-bike is a great alternative for delivery services personnel.
3. Ola
One of India’s most used and trusted cab services, Ola, came up with a couple of thoughtful initiatives during the time of lockdown for the frontline heroes. Being a leader in mobility and logistics, Ola already has a fleet of resources at its disposal, and it has put those to good use in these times of need.
Ola came up with an Ola Emergency, and Ola Connects initiative in many states of the country for commuting of frontline workers like doctors and paramedics. It also provided emergency cab services for patients that helped them reach the hospital on time in case of emergency.
4. Rapido
This is another Bangalore based mobility startup that offers bike taxi services to its customers. It’s a great option for individual travellers that don’t have much luggage to carry with them. Thereby making it really fast and very economical for its customers.
The experienced drivers at Rapido pride themselves at navigating tough routes and traffic to get you to their location in the least possible time. It is also a great service for last-minute pick-ups or people that don’t know how to drive and can also come in handy when your vehicle is giving you trouble or fails on the road.
5. Uber
This American based mobility company is now spread in a lot of countries over the world and is available in India. It is known for its fast and reliable rides with its cab and bike services. During the lockdown period, Uber has started an initiative by the name UberMedic.
This service is for frontline medical professionals for their safe commute to work, back and forth. UberEssential is another great step taken by Uber to help facilitate the safe delivery of essential goods and services across the country for people in need.
6. Yulu
Using Micro Mobility Vehicles (MMVs) across India, Yulu aims at making mobility across the country shareable, sustainable, and affordable. This startup was initially started as an initiative to reduce pollution and traffic congestion in major cities. Now during the coronavirus period, Yulu has used its fleet of electric motorized vehicles to deliver all sorts of essential goods.
It has also joined hands with many online retailers like MedLife, BigBasket, Licious, among others so that you are not missing anything when you are stuck at home. Just like their tagline says, be unstoppable, they have not spared any expense to give you the best experience during these tough times.
7. Zoomcar
This is a car rental service for people who know driving but don’t own a car. On Zoomcar, you can book a car in most of the major cities of the country like Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Banglore, among many others for both short and long-distance travel.
Here you don’t have to worry about fuel, gas, or any other expenses and just pay a simple per kilometer rate depending on your vehicle choice and distance. Zoomcar has, during the lockdown, run a fleet of selected vehicles that are properly sanitized and cleanup measures.
8. Zypp
This is another e-bike or e-scooter sharing service where you can get available ride options within short-range distance. This Gurgaon based mobility startup offers both e-bike sharing as well as e-bike renting service that can be availed by just searching on the app and scanning a simple QR code.
Zypp has now partnered with many grocery outlets like Spencers, Big Basket, Modern Market, and others. This has helped in the timely delivery of essential goods and medicines in a lot of cities across north India, like Delhi, Noida, and Gurgaon.
So whether you are looking for a safe and economical mode of transport during this period of Coronavirus, or anytime later in the future, these are some great mobility options for you. Revolutionary, innovative, and affordable, all of the above services are aimed at providing the best service to its customers.
We can imagine that if during the pandemic period, these mobility startups are providing such exemplary initiatives, then what all benefits and propositions they can offer after all this is over. We hope that you are as excited about these startups as we are.
So next time you need a transport or logistic service we are sure that you will look beyond your regular cab or bike service and try one of our options mentioned above.
