Hyderabad: Voters across Hyderabad and also in Karimnagar, Khammam and Warangal in Telangana will be provided free bike taxi, autorickshaw and cab rides on May 13, polling day in the state, by a ride hailing platform.
Ride hailing platform Rapido on Monday said it is joining hands with the office of Chief Electoral Officer to further encourage people to vote. To that end, it organised an event to raise voter awareness at Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium here in which was attended by Vikas Raj, CEO.
On election day, voters can avail free rides on the Rapido app using the code ‘VOTENOW’ and get a free ride to exercise their democratic right. The initiative aims to facilitate residents’ voting rights and ensure a more inclusive electoral process, a release said.
Voting for 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana will be held on May 13.
Rapido further said this effort aligns with Rapido’s nationwide campaign, deploying over 10 lakh captains across more than 100 cities to provide free rides on election day.
Rapido’s co-founder Pavan Guntupalli said, “We are undertaking this initiative to ensure that every voter in Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, and Warangal can successfully fulfill their civic duty by casting their votes in the Indian General Election 2024.”
The ride hailing platform wants to specifically ensure that differently-abled and senior citizen voters have equitable access to exercise their democratic right. By extending free auto and cab rides to them, the ride app is redoubling its commitment to inclusivity and social responsibility, he added.
Raj said, “By offering free commute to voters, especially the differently abled and senior citizens, Rapido is facilitating greater inclusivity and ensuring that every eligible citizen can exercise their democratic right.”