JOHANNESBURG - Peer-to-peer ridesharing, taxi cab and food delivery company Uber said on Wednesday drivers and deliverers in South Africa would now benefit from the same injury protection cover it secured from Chubb last year for riders.
"Uber driver-partners and Uber Eats delivery-partners will now benefit from the same cover at no additional cost; from the moment they accept a trip or delivery request, while driving to pick up a rider or on the way to a restaurant, and until the trip ends," it said.
In the event of an accident or a crime-related incident resulting in an injury during a trip, drivers and delivery-partners would have access to emergency medical treatment.
The cover would reimburse ambulance service costs and provides drivers with an immediate small lump sum payment to cover their basic expenses following and accident.
If a driver died as a result of an accident on-trip, their dependents would benefit from a lump sum payment. They will also obtain an additional lump sum amount which can be used as they deem fit. Drivers who suffered a permanent disability as a result of an accident On-Trip would also get a lump sum payment.
“We are proud to announce Partner Injury Protection together with Chubb to show our commitment to being a better partner to the driver and delivery-partners who are the heart of the Uber experiences," said Alon Lits, general manager sub-Saharan Africa at Uber.
The Partner Injury Protection is simultaneously being launched in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Pakistan, with Uber looking to add more countries across the Middle East and Africa soon after a similar roll out across the Europe Union.