Coronavirus lockdown: Rapido partners with BigBasket, Big Baazar to deliver essentials

Online bike taxi aggregator Rapido has announced a partnership with BigBasket, Big Baazar, and Spencer's Retail to help last-mile deliveries of essential suppliers during the 21-day lockdown. Rapido, in a statement, said that it is committed to increasing its existing delivery services to provide essential supplies during the nationwide lockdown.

Rapido was founded in 2015 and currently operates in over 95 cities across the country. The company has become one of the major players in the ride-hailing segment.

The company would now be catering customers across 90 cities in the country and around 70 per cent of its fleet are on-ground to facilitate the supplies of essential commodities.

Rapido is also in talks with other e-commerce players - Grofers, Dunzo and FreshtoHome - on extending support to deliver essential orders.

The bike taxi aggregator said that the company would not be charging any commission and will act as the platform to facilitate deliveries. Additionally, Rapido also said that it is following all necessary precautions issued by government and health authorities during the commute of its fleet in the 21-day lockdown period.

Earlier, the company had declared a temporary suspension of its India operations amid the lockdown. The company stated that it will operate with minimum vehicles to support only essential services to hospitals, doctors, nurses and government staff. Moreover, the company is also ensuring proper sanitisation of pillion seat every time a customer takes a ride.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had declared a 21-day nationwide lockdown from March 25 to April 14 to fight novel coronavirus pandemic in the country. So far, the coronavirus outbreak has claimed around 118 lives in the country with over 4,300 infected cases.

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