New Delhi: To provide reliable, convenient, safe, and economical mobility solutions for personal travel and commute of Naval personnel and their families across the country, the Indian Navy Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Uber — the American ride-hailing service.
The MoU is not meant for official travel of officers and personnel, but for their personal travel needs. Uber will offer several benefits to Indian naval personnel and their families, such as a personalised profile on the Uber App, surge price protection during peak office hours, zero cancellation fee on all Uber rides, top-rated drivers and 24×7 premium business support.
“This MoU is for personal use, and payment will have to be made by the user, that is the Navy personnel or their families,” Navy sources told ThePrint.
In May, Uber also joined the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) — a platform launched by the commerce ministry in 2016 for transparent procurement of goods and services by central ministries and departments — to enable government ministries, departments, agencies, and public sector units to book taxis for official purposes.
Asked if the MoU meant that the Navy will stop hiring private taxis for official use and for various events, sources explained that GeM now allows Uber to bid for contracts just like any taxi-providing company for the official purpose as well.
“The lowest bidder wins. So it can be anyone who gives the required service at the lowest bid,” a source added.
Uber, in 2016, had also introduced cashless or cardless payment options for government personnel, as well as categories such as GeM Yatra Hatch and GeM Yatra Sedan.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)