First ride-hailing company in Vietnam to provide direct cash support to active driver-partners amid the current outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic
Ho Chi Minh City, 30 August 2021: Gojek, Southeast Asia's leading mobile on-demand services platform, today announced the launch of a VND 4.15 billion fund to support tens of thousands of its active Vietnamese driver-partners who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the ride-hailing industry’s first and largest cash support scheme in Vietnam during the current outbreak, and is aimed at supplementing the income of Gojek’s driver-partners amid the ongoing lockdown in Vietnam.
The allocation of the funds is based on the economic status of eligible driver-partners, following a survey by Gojek which explored correlations between income over the past month and personal circumstances such as age and marital status. Driver-partners in Hanoi will also receive a slightly higher amount to support them through the city’s stricter service freezes during this period.
Cash support aims to relieve driver-partners’ financial burden
The cash support, which can be used to purchase approximately 3-7 days worth of essentials, will be credited directly to the e-wallets of driver-partners who were active on the Gojek platform prior to the lockdown in both cities. Driver-partners above 55 years of age, who are more economically vulnerable during the lockdown, will receive VND 400,000 if based in Hanoi, and VND 350,000 if based in Ho Chi Minh City. All other eligible driver partners will receive between VND 200,000 and VND 350,000, depending on their location and economic status.
Duc Phung, General Manager of Gojek Vietnam said, “The livelihoods of our driver-partners depend very much on their mobility on the streets. The heightened impact of the pandemic, with both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City under a strict lockdown, means many of them are finding it more difficult to make ends meet. We would like to thank our driver-partners for staying resilient during this period of uncertainty, and hope that the cash support will make life easier and support them and their families through this challenging time.”
The cash support scheme is Gojek’s latest initiative to support its driver-partners who have been impacted by COVID-19. In addition to this scheme, Gojek has also been working closely with government agencies to get drivers vaccinated, in order to protect their health, as well as that of the wider community, amid the pandemic.
Other initiatives that Gojek has rolled out previously include the provision of free medical insurance for top-tier drivers and cash support for drivers placed under quarantine. Prior to the implementation of mobility restrictions, cash support was also given to drivers who took on GoFood and GoSend orders.
Gojek’s survey results show that age, marital status and number of dependents are closely related with economic vulnerability
To develop the most suitable support schemes for driver-partners impacted by COVID-19, Gojek surveyed 22,000 of its driver-partners to understand their economic vulnerability based on factors such as age, marital status, number of dependents, and more.
The survey results showed that the majority of Gojek driver-partners have families that benefit from their income, with 83% supporting at least two dependents in the family and one third (33.93%) being the sole breadwinner.
However, the pandemic has significantly impacted their income. The majority of those surveyed reported that their family’s income over the past month has fallen significantly in August as compared to May, before the lockdown. Older driver partners were particularly vulnerable, with the survey showing that driver partners aged above 55 tend to earn approximately 30% less than the youngest age group (below 30).
Gojek continues to support Vietnam more widely during the current outbreak of COVID-19: