Ola to provide free rides for Persons with Disabilities to polling booths in Bengaluru this Lok Sabha election
As a part of this free service, Ola has assigned 270 cabs to the Election Commission and these will be made available to ferry Persons with Disabilities to the polling booths in Bengaluru, and other areas in Karnataka.
With the much anticipated election day finally dawning on Karnataka, cab platform Ola has announced that it will provide free rides to Persons with Disabilities (PwD) in Bengaluru, Mysuru, and Mangaluru on April 18, 2019, and Ballari, Hubali-Dharwad, Gulbarga, and Belgaum on April 23 2019. As a part of this free service, Ola has assigned 270 cabs to the Election Commission and these will be made available to ferry PwD voters to polling booths.
In a statement, Ola said:
In a bid to increase voter participation, Ola has partnered with the office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka and Mangalore Zilla Panchayat, the Bengaluru District Electoral Officer, and the Commissioner of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), and the District Electoral Officer and Commissioner of Mysore Corporation to provide free rides to PWD voters.
Ola has also set up helpline numbers – 9071464553 / 7624915133 to assist the PwD voters and address any issues that may arise. To ensure strict adherence to compliance, IVRs related to the rules of the Election Commission will be played on the driver partners’ mobile phone numbers.
Additionally, Ola has also arranged a set-up with Nodal Officers and a team of volunteers to make calls to driver partners to verify the status of the scheduled pick-ups of PwD voters on April 18 in Bengaluru, Mysore and Mangaluru.
“The upcoming Lok Sabha elections are the largest democratic elections held in the world and ease of mobility is integral to the effective functioning of the system. In the recent past, we have seen that availability of convenient transport options has resulted in positive voter turnout and we will continue to back initiatives that support the constitutional machinery of the country," said Vishnu Bommareddy, Regional Head – South at Ola.
Surya Sen AV, Joint Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka, said, “We are committed to increasing the participation of Persons with Disabilities in the General Elections this year and are keen to facilitate their constitutional right to vote.”