UAE: Uber to offer free rides to people seeking Covid-19 jab till July 31

Uber is offering free rides to people looking to receive Covid-19 vaccination in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Passengers will be able to avail two free Uber rides, up to Dhs60 each, to and from public vaccination centres in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The rides will be offered from June 22 to July 31 for people of all ages and nationalities.

The commitment comes as part of Uber’s global initiative to support public authorities and cities in their attempt to contain the pandemic. The initiative is supported by the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai and the Integrated Transport Centre in Abu Dhabi as part of the national vaccination drive.

People across Dubai and Abu Dhabi will be able to book trips to and from 97 centres using the Uber app, including a number of DHA centres in Dubai, the SEHA Vaccination Centre and other select centres in Abu Dhabi, official news agency WAM reported.

Rifad Mahasneh, Uber general manager in the UAE said: “We applaud the government’s efforts to vaccinate the community and we would like to do our part to support these efforts. Since the onset of the pandemic, we’ve been looking at how we can support our communities, prioritise their health and safety, and ultimately keep cities moving at a time when mobility has been severely impacted. The vaccination drive is part of the effort to leverage our technology to positively impact communities and support the government’s successful efforts in protecting the population against the virus.”

Uber undertook several initiatives including the launch of Uber Medics to provide healthcare workers with discounted trips to and from their workplace, advanced safety measures for both riders and drivers, financial assistance for drivers diagnosed with Covid-19 as well as in-app reminders for riders and drivers to follow advice from public health authorities.