PickMe strengthens measures for driver and passenger safety

Monday, 24 May 2021 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Police carrying out checks at PickMe temperature checkpoint

PickMe, the app-driven digital mobility company has taken several new measures to further strengthen safety measures for its drivers and customers.

It has entered a partnership with the police, to ensure that local police authorities are present at 12 temperature checkpoints set up in and around Colombo for regular checks of PickMe drivers. This is in addition to the in-app Driver verification system kicked off by the company last year to detect drivers who are recording a temperature above 37 Celsius. Any driver with higher temperatures are immediately paused from service and directed to the local PHI.

PickMe has reinforced its health and safety protocols during the pandemic, and is taking further precautions to safeguard its drivers and customers during the latest COVID-19 wave that has broken in the country. It is doing daily checks and has resumed PCR testing of its driver community. “We are glad to report that out of a 100 PCR tests carried out, only one of our driver partners tested positive. While we find this result to be very encouraging, we have done everything possible to isolate and support the driver and his family, while taking precautions and monitoring our customers,” says Head of Marketing and Communications Gowshik Sathiyasiva, adding that PickMe has incentivised its drivers to get the vaccine and already more than 780 of its drivers are inoculated against COVID-19. He says they are on a drive to ensure that the entire fleet will soon complete the vaccination program set in motion by the Government.

Supporting the Government’s initiative to inoculate every eligible person in the country, PickMe has launched a promotion to encourage its passengers to get the vaccine. It offers a promo code offering their customers Rs. 200 off their total fee to ride to the closest vaccination centres, which in some cases, might even be a free ride given the travel distance.

PickMe’s locally developed contact tracing technology, which was a pioneering effort by the company, has been in operation since March 2020. They work with the Sri Lanka Police to ensure all their vehicles abide by the regulations put in place. In addition it has placed placards and stickers in the vehicle fleet to remind customers and drivers of the safety protocols to be followed.

“We have made arrangements for any of our drivers testing positive to be referred to the relevant PHIs, who would go through the required processes of quarantine, etc. Drivers are allowed to resume work only after proper clearance by the PHI,” adds Gowshik.

As part of its safety campaign PickMe placed separators in over 6,000 tuks belonging to its fleet. Some of the successful safety precautions launched by PickMe is its Flash parcel delivery service, which enables customers to deliver a package or documents safely with minimum contact. The company was also one of the first to launch the delivery of essentials and groceries, during the first outbreak of the pandemic and the resultant lockdown, meeting the needs of over 400,000 households around the island. It has further strengthened its fleet and will continue to provide these services in the future.