30th May 2022, Colombo: Uber Eats in Sri Lanka has reiterated its commitment to the market by dialing up support to Courier partners on its platform during the current challenging times. To soften the impact of the ongoing economic crisis, the company has announced initiatives that will help create new earning opportunities and provide a cushion to courier partners. This includes the launch of cycles on the platform for food and grocery delivery and distributing ration kits among its courier partners.
Commenting on these new initiatives, Bhavna Dadlani Jayawardena, General Manager at Uber Sri Lanka, said, “In these challenging times, we want to stand solidly beside our partners and use the power of our platform to support our communities. Launching bicycles as our new delivery mode for food and grocery delivery – we strive to provide support and relief to communities we operate in.”
Launch of cycles for delivery
Uber Eats has received an overwhelming response to its pilot launch in Colombo to use push cycles for delivery. It is the first delivery platform in Sri Lanka to have introduced cycles for delivery. The company plans to expand this to other cities in the coming weeks. While courier partners on the platform procure cycles on their own, in the wake of the current macro-economic situation, the company also plans to facilitate flexible payment schemes through local partnerships for courier partners who need them.
Cycles for delivery will not only open up earning opportunities to a subset that cannot afford a motorcycle or e-bikes but also act as a mode that is more accessible. Cycles on Uber Eats will promote sustainable delivery methods in the long run and strengthen its supply network to continue supporting merchant partners and providing a reliable experience to customers.
In the wake of rising food prices, Uber Eats has also begun distributing ration kits among its courier partners to support them and their families during this time.