Gojek Singapore committed to safety of driver-partners, customers during Covid-19 outbreak

Singapore – Gojek Singapore has shared its commitment to ensuring the safety of its driver-partners and customers through various initiatives in light of the Covid-19 outbreak.

“We are heartened by the comprehensive initiatives announced by the Singapore Government to support companies and workers,” a Gojek spokeswoman told The Independent Singapore.

The spokeswoman, who handles Gojek’s PR, said it is capable and ready to match the Special Relief Fund (SRF) for private-hire drivers and is offering an extensive support package to drivers in the event of a quarantine order (QO).

The Senior Minister of State for Transport and Communications and Information, Dr Janil Puthucheary, announced on Feb 13 that a S$77 million Point-to-Point Support Package (PPSP) would be implemented to help taxi and Private Hire Car (PHC) operators get through the virus outbreak. The Government will provide a total of S$45 million, while taxi and PHC companies will commit to the remaining amount.

Of the allotted budget, S$73 million will be for the SRF to help drivers defray business costs, said the Land Transport Authority in its news release. “About 40,000 eligible drivers will receive a Special Relief of up to S$20 per vehicle per day for three months,” it added.

Gojek, which began operations in Singapore in November 2018, is “committed to the country and will continue to work with the authorities to jointly take care of private-hire drivers and look at even more ways to support them during this period”.

On Tuesday (Feb 18), Gojek launched its GoHeroes initiative aimed at supporting healthcare workers and other everyday heroes on the frontlines of the battle against Covid-19.

The spokeswoman said that, “as part of GoHeroes, we will partner with all the public acute hospitals in Singapore to provide Gojek ride vouchers worth $10 each, which they can distribute to their staff over the next three months”.

Its driver-partners have also pledged their commitment to ensuring that frontline healthcare professionals could continue to travel to and from their workplaces safely and comfortably, said Gojek.

The company recognises and rewards driver-partners who “go above and beyond in their efforts” and thanks them for their “dedication in being frontline heroes themselves and keeping the nation on the move”.

Quarantined drivers
Gojek currently has a programme called GoalBetter which provides its driver-partners with Prolonged Medical Leave insurance coverage, a benefit they can claim when serving a QO related to Covid-19. Those from GoFleet, its vehicle rental programme, will also receive a rental waiver in case of a QO and a one-off S$100 allowance as extra support.

The company continues to monitor the evolving situation of the Covid-19 outbreak and will work closely with the Government to ensure the well-being of its driver-partners and commuters.

Meanwhile, the Government has also pledged financial assistance to those who do not qualify for the SRF. Together with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), the Government will establish a Driver Care Fund for needy drivers. It will contribute a total of S$2.7 million, while the NTUC will be in charge of implementation. /TISG