Lockdown 4.0: Delhi Gives A Major Push To Cab Aggregators, Retail Startups

In what could be a morale boost for cab aggregators, the Delhi government has finally allowed them to restart operations in the capital during the fourth phase of the lockdown.

In a press conference, Delhi’s chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that taxis and cabs will be allowed to run but only two passengers will be allowed at a time inside the car.

However, the government has continued its restriction on ride-sharing or car-pooling services offered by Ola and Uber as well as other platforms such as QuickRide and RedBus.

Moreover, the Delhi government has allowed the functioning of e-rickshaws and auto-rickshaws in the capital with a single passenger. This means that commuters will be able to book auto-rickshaws via Ola and Uber. After each ride, drivers have to ensure that the seat has been disinfected.

Until the third phase of the lockdown, the government had allowed the movement of cabs and taxis in only orange and green zones. As Delhi was in a red zone, cab aggregators were not allowed to operate.

But the recent announcements from the state government has cleared the way for Ola and Uber to restart operations. So far, there has been no clarity on whether two-wheeler startups will be allowed to operate.

Startups Can Work From Offices With 100% Strength

In another announcement, crucial for startups operating in Delhi, the government has allowed them to operate from their offices with full strength. “All the public and private offices in Delhi can now work from offices with 100% strength,” Kejriwal said.

Earlier, such companies were allowed to operate with only 33% of their capacity. For facilitating the travel of the employees, the government allowed the movement of buses but only 20 passengers will be allowed to sit inside it at a particular time.

However, Kejriwal requested private companies to continue working from home as the number of positive Covid-19 cases are increasing with each passing day.

Markets To Open In Delhi

During the briefing, Kejriwal announced that most of the shops in markets will be opened in the lockdown’s fourth phase. However, the markets will open on an odd-even basis while malls will remain closed.

This will help startups such as CarTrade, Credr, Droom, CarDekho, among others, which have a physical presence to reinstate their operations. Consumer brands such as Nykaa and Zivame might also be reopening their stores.