China’s ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing has introduced a series of relief initiatives to the Asia-Pacific and Latin American markets with an aim to combat the global coronavirus outbreak, the company announced on Thursday in a press release.
Didi has launched a special fleet named Didi Hero, which provides services to frontline medical and relief workers. About 48,000 drivers have signed up to join the fleet by the end of April, offering 1.5 million rides and deliveries for communities and healthcare workers across Latin America and Australia.
Didi has also taken actions in preventing drivers and customers from infections. It has installed plastic protective sheets between front and back seats of 20,000 vehicles in Mexico to reduce the risk of the virus spreading, a practice that was previously adopted in China during the outbreak, KrASIA reported.
The company has also shipped over 2 million masks and sanitizers to drivers in international markets, and organized regular fleet disinfection in Chile and Brazil, according to the press release.
Other initiatives include offering contactless delivery services in Brazil, Mexico, and Japan, launching on-demand delivery and courier services in Australia and Latin America, and offering in-app coronavirus-related information, said Didi.
In March, the firm announced the creation of a USD 10 million fund to provide financial relief to its drivers and food delivery couriers diagnosed with the coronavirus in Asia and Latin America.
This article is part of KrASIA’s “China Brief” section, where KrASIA’s reporters will provide quick daily updates about the tech ecosystem in China.
