Sri Lankans get first taste of lifesaving new transportation service with DrinkDrive

An innovative new transportation service is working to save lives and encourage Sri Lankans to take the responsible route home. First launched on Christmas Eve, 2016, DrinkDrive is a unique platform that provides professional chauffeurs who drive clients safely home in the client’s own vehicle at a reasonable rate. The chauffeurs arrive in pairs and as one drives the client home, the other follows on motorbike.

The service was first conceptualised in response to rising incidents of accidents and fatalities caused by drunk driving. Over 2,800 fatalities were reported in 2015 alone in addition to a further 7,700 critical accidents. Seeking to provide a convenient and safe alternative, the new service enables users to ensure their safety and that of their friends and loved ones, without having to sacrifice their nights out, or pay for expensive alternative transportation. 

DrinkDrive is rapidly gaining traction in the Sri Lankan market, having already attracted over 2,000 members since launch. With demand soaring, the company is now working to launch a Loyalty Card for return clients and for customers who register themselves via the DrinkDrive website. 

Client safety and comfort are naturally paramount concerns for DrinkDrive; therefore the company works to ensure that each of its drivers undergoes a rigorous selection process following systematic evaluations of their personality and attitudes. Drivers who are able to make it past the first round of selections are thereafter required to take part in several workshops designed to teach them about all aspects of their job-role, and all necessary safety protocols. Each driver is also provided with a smart-watch, Bluetooth headset, and water-proof mounted cameras. 

Drivers are required to pass fluency tests in English and Sinhala in addition to attending a driving test where external invigilators and senior employees evaluate the skills of the applicants and ensure that they perform to the high standards of conduct established by DrinkDrive. Further, each booking is examined and evaluated by the company in order to ensure optimal customer satisfaction and the company welcomes feedback in order to further refine the ultimate user-experience. 

Having already established a firm user-base, DrinkDrive is now working to power a concerted expansion drive through the cultivation of creative new relationships with corporates, private businesses and event organisers, in order to capture a larger share of business and potentially save more lives in future. The initiative has attracted the attention of investors as well as potential partners who wish to join DrinkDrive as it consolidates on its growth momentum. 

Customers and employees are both provided with equal respect at DrinkDrive, and the company actively seeks to promote a culture based on mutual respect and understanding. In this manner, the company’s employees are also encouraged to be a part of the success of DrinkDrive and its vital mission to save lives. Drivers interested in signing up with the company are encouraged to submit their registration details through the ‘Careers’ page of the DrinkDrive website. 

DrinkDrive is a subsidiary of OMBC Holdings Ltd. Supported by partners in Qatar and Sweden, OMBC also maintains a presence in the domestic tourism industry through its subsidiary, SriLankaGate. Given the group’s tremendous success with DrinkDrive, OMBC is now working to leverage its experience with the company in order to establish an affordable, safe, island-wide taxi solution capable of generating further synergies with other companies under the OMBC umbrella. For more information please visit: www.drinkdrive.lk.