Drivers get same injury protection cover as riders using Uber

Uber South Africa announced on Wednesday that it had secured injury protection cover for drivers and Uber Eats delivery-partners.

Uber driver-partners and Uber Eats delivery-partners will now be covered from the moment they accept a trip or delivery request‚ while driving to pick up a rider or on the way to a restaurant‚ and until the trip ends.

The deal was made possible through a partnership with Chubb Insurance South Africa‚ at no extra cost to the drivers. The cover for partner drivers follows the same cover that Uber obtained for riders from Chubb in 2017.

The company said the announcement formed part of Uber’s global commitment across the Middle East and Africa region and was an important step in addressing some of the biggest concerns raised by Uber’s independent partners who relied on Uber’s app.

Uber said in addition‚ the cover would also provide assistance and legal representation to drivers and other third parties‚ with their claims being submitted to the Road Accident Fund at no additional cost to themselves.

Uber said in an event of an accident or a crime-related incident resulting in an injury during a trip‚ drivers and delivery-partners would have access to emergency medical treatment‚ death payments and permanent disability payments.

If an accident happened during a trip‚ the cover would reimburse drivers for emergency medical treatment costs they incurred in the first 48 hours following the accident up to a capped sum.

If a driver died as a result of an accident during a trip‚ their dependants or heirs would benefit from a lump sum payment.

If a driver suffered from a permanent disability as a result of an accident on-trip‚ he or she would benefit from a lump sum payment.

“The amount depends on the severity of the disability‚ as determined by Chubb Insurance‚” Uber said in a statement.

Alon Lits‚ general manager Sub-Saharan Africa at Uber‚ said this showed its commitment to being a better partner to the driver and delivery-partners.

“We’ll carry on taking drivers’ feedback on board to ensure we further improve their experience so they can face the future with more confidence‚” Lits said.

Gary Jack‚ country president for Chubb Insurance in South Africa said the cover would provide access to injury protection for drivers whilst on an Uber trip.

“We are confident that this new product offering will give peace of mind to drivers.”

Earlier in the day‚ Uber announced that its fares were going up from July 31.

“We are making various changes and improvements to help provide reliable earning opportunities for driver-partners and a reliable service for you‚” the company said.