In a bid to promote road safety, Uber and Lenskart, in a statement on January 18, said they have partnered with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, to offer free eye-tests and subsidised vision correction glasses to driver-partners.
The statement read, “Uber and Lenskart are sharing the costs for offering free eye-tests and subsidised vision correction and reading glasses worth Rs 10 million to driver-partners across India starting with Delhi NCR for reducing potential accidents that can be caused by faulty vision.” Besides this, the cab aggregator has also launched an educational video for the driver community, the statement added.
Moreover, Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, distributed vision correction glasses to 10 top-rated Uber driver-partners. The Minister said that road accidents are rising and in 2019 alone, over 1.54 lakh people were killed in road crashes across the country. Adding on he said, India needs a collective effort from central, state and municipal governments, NGOs, corporate citizens, and individuals to help develop the foundation of road safety in India and meet the commitment to reduce death and serious injuries caused due to road accidents and decrease fatalities by 50 per cent by 2030.
With this partnership in place, those Uber drivers who receive free eye-tests and subsidised glasses can visit any Lenskart centre in Delhi NCR for support. This initiative will be further expanded to other cities over the coming few months.
As reported by a national daily, speaking on the partnership, Uber India South Asia President Prabhjeet Singh named the safety of both rider and driver as top priorities for the cab company. Further, he said, “By partnering with MoRTH, we aim to increase awareness about road safety measures, especially among drivers. We truly believe our partnership is another step towards safer mobility, and we are confident that, with the support of our riders, drivers, and the city administration, we can help make every trip safer.”
Peyush Bansal, CEO, Lenskart Solutions India, said, “Road safety is critically linked with perfect vision and we are providing free eye tests and subsidised eyeglasses for all Uber drivers with passionate intent to make roads safer for all. Our strategic partnership with MoRTH and Uber is truly enthusing as this endeavour brings us closer to our dream of Vision for All.”