The cover also includes OPD and medical costs incurred in case of an accident.
The aggregator implemented the plan in late February after collaborating with Reliance General Insurance. This comes after cab drivers expressed reluctance to take rides to the airport due to the high risk of delays.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is carrying out work on 701 kilometres of roads, has suspended new road excavation plans to prevent further disruption.
“At just ₹3 extra per ride, Uber is offering coverage to its passengers,” sources in Uber told Hindustan Times. The cover is only valid if the destination is selected as ‘airport’ when reserving the ride, they added.
It is necessary to keep track of the estimated time of arrival (ETA) at the airport, which ranges between 90 and 120 minutes. Passengers who desire to claim insurance must submit documents at the time of claim, like a signed claim form, booking reference number, and ride details.
The passengers will also be required to present a copy of the flight ticket, the respective airline’s confirmation of no travel and reimbursement certificate, the original ticket for the new flight booked and a crossed cheque for an NEFT transfer. “While opting for the insurance, the time of booking and travel should be realistic,” the official added.
During a meeting last week, leaders of the Maharashtra Rajya Rashtriya Kamgar Sangh (MRRKS), a conglomeration of drivers working for aggregator cabs, said that drivers expressed their concern about spontaneous arguments and abuse allegedly directed at them by passengers when they fail to arrive at the airport on time due to heavy traffic.
Anand Kute, organising secretary, MRRKS, said, “While drivers keep their eye on the clock, every time the map on the Uber app shows 2-3 minutes to destination or pick-up point, it inevitably gets extended to 8-10 minutes, as the map does not factor in the ongoing road works interrupting the drive. Also, as the wait period at the airport has gone up, drivers avoid picking up rides.”
Meanwhile, aggregator cab drivers went on a flash strike at the Mumbai airport on Tuesday, protesting low fares and poor road conditions that have impacted their earnings.
R Jadhav, an aggregator cab driver who participated in the protest, said, “The drivers are tired of the low fares they receive from operators, which charge 25-30% as commission. We are already suffering from poor road conditions, which have led to losses in our earnings. So, we decided not to ply between 5 pm and 9 pm at the airport.”
In an Instagram post on Tuesday, comedian Rohan Joshi slammed the BMC and the Maharashtra government and accused them of extorting taxpayers.
“Give us a figure, or a number, I don’t care how high it is, just tell us the number at which you guys will sit back and say, now we are full, we have stolen enough money from Mumbai’s taxpayers.”
