Uber, Ola suspend services in Delhi till March-end amid lockdown; share services too suspended in rest of country

Services of Ola and Uber will not be available in Delhi till 31 March amid the lockdown announced by the state government to contain the spread of coronavirus infection. The Delhi government on Sunday said the city will be in lockdown from 23 to 31 March, under which no public transport, including private buses, taxis and autorickshaws will be allowed. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a lockdown — sealing its borders, shutting down markets and directing private firms to give compulsory paid leave to all employees, including contractual — until the end of March. Beyond the 80 districts, states, including Maharashtra, which is leading in the number of coronavirus cases, Rajasthan and Punjab are now under effective statewide lockdowns after they imposed Section 144 that bars gatherings of more than four people. “Uber is complying with all Central and State Government directives related to its services for containing the spread of Coronavirus,” an Uber spokesperson said in response to a query. [caption id=“attachment_5467541” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] The logos of Uber and Ola. Image: CNN-News18[/caption] An Ola spokesperson said the company “will enable a minimal network of vehicles to support essential services in cities, wherever applicable, as part of this national effort to reduce the contagion of Covid-19”. The two companies – which account for a major share of the taxis running in the national capital – had already suspended temporarily their shared rides on their respective platforms. Speaking about its pool services, an Uber Spokesperson said, “We are determined to help reduce the spread of coronavirus in the cities we serve. With that in mind, we are suspending the Uber Pool service across India. In line with the Government advisory, we urge people to stay safe and discourage non-essential travel.” The Centre and state governments have decided to completely lock down 80 districts across the country where coronavirus cases have been reported. In view of the need to contain the spread of the deadly Covid-19, it was agreed that there was an urgent need to extend the restrictions on the movement of non-essential passenger transport. The districts where lockdown was announced include Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Delhi will be locked down from 6 am on 23 March and continue till midnight on 31 March. The city’s borders will remain sealed during the lockdown, but essential services related to health, food, water and power supply will continue, and 25 percent of the DTC buses will run to transport people associated with essential services. All domestic and international flights have been suspended in Delhi. (With PTI inputs)