In a bid to help transport citizens stranded due to water logging in Chennai, Ola, India's most popular mobile app for personal transportation, has deployed boats in water-logged and partially submerged areas, on the basis of information provided by the Fire and Rescue Department of Tamil Nadu.
The boats manned by professional rowers and fishermen, will also be used to provide food and drinking water in specific areas which are reportedly short of basic supplies. Both ferrying services and supplies will be offered free of cost to citizens.
Each boat will be manned by two rowers and can ferry anywhere between five to nine people in a single attempt. Ola is also providing rain gear to all rowers, which will help them ferry people without any hassles.
In order to guard customers from rain, Ola has also stocked umbrellas in every boat. Details of the rowers and fishermen were provided to Ola by local firemen and the Chennai Sport Fishing Company.
These services are expected to be available over the next three days and might get extended if water-logging continues in the city. Many employees and drivers of Ola are also coordinating with the fishermen on ground to enable smooth operations.
Ravi Teja, Business Head of Tamil Nadu at Ola said, "Thousands of citizens have been stranded and are suffering due to heavy rains and water logging in Chennai. While we are addressing the increased demand for transportation in the city through the Ola app, we are working closely with local stakeholders to help ferry those stranded in water logged areas. Boats deployed by Ola will help ferry people to safer areas and in distribution of essential supplies like food and drinking water in affected areas.