Careem, a major ride-hailing company in the Middle East and African region, has launched a free in-ride insurance programme for both passengers and Captains in all 15 countries of its operation. The firm would pay up to $20,000 to cover expenses related to death or serious injury caused by accidents during a Careem ride.
The insurance for Drivers is effective from the moment the app is online and available to pick up passengers, through the trip to pick-up the passenger until the passenger gets to their destination.
“Safety remains our top priority as we expand across new territories and enter new verticals,” announced the firm in a blog post. “The introduction of our new free global insurance plan means that our Captains and all 33 million of our customers now have insurance while riding with us in any country. This is a huge commitment from Careem that reflects the importance of safety and well-being of our customers and Captains.”
Prior to this insurance program, Careem has put together safety and security measures to ensure a standardised level of safe driving. All Captains undergo background checks, on-boarding and refresher trainings on how to drive safely and how to keep their cars in optimum roadworthy condition. The vehicles also receive a standardised assessment to check for core mechanical, functional and interior measures ranging from seatbelts, to tyre thread, to indicators and lights.
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All cars must pass this test to be on the platform. Careem provides an extra motivation for drivers who keep up with set standards by correlating their potential earnings with the safety of their vehicle and driving.
Female Captains have the right to choose which customer to pick-up based on gender, neighbourhood and customer rating. They are also provided with higher security as their calls are prioritized in the event of a problem occurring in-ride. The firm says the global in-ride insurance in all markets will ensure that its customers and captains always have peace of mind when using Careem’s platform.
The in-ride insurance is available for motor vehicles in all markets except UAE.