Rapido to offer free rides to senior citizens, differently-abled voters in Karnataka on Friday

Ride-hailing service Rapido has announced complimentary bike taxi, auto, and cab rides to differently-abled and senior citizen voters across Karnataka as a part of its "SawaariZimmedariKi" campaign ahead of the Lok Sabha election in the state.

Rapido on Wednesday pledged to offer free rides to and fro voting points on April 26 for residents of Bengaluru, Mysuru, and Mangaluru who can avail the service by using the code 'VOTENOW', said an official release by the company.

"In collaboration with the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Rapido sets forth to champion civic engagement during the General Elections 2024 by extending free auto and cab rides to differently-abled and senior citizen voters in Bengaluru. As part of this historic endeavor, Rapido pledges to provide free rides to voters in Bengaluru on 26th April, 2024," the statement read.

"We are undertaking this initiative to ensure that every voter in Bengaluru, Mysuru, and Mangaluru can successfully fulfil their civic duty by casting their votes in the Indian General Election 2024. We have deployed all available resources to us in order to ensure that voters in Bengaluru can participate in the electoral process.,” Rapido’s Co-founder Pavan Guntupalli said.

“We want 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, we are redoubling our commitment to inclusivity and social responsibility,” Guntupalli added.

He further said that by offering these free rides, they are facilitating democracy in action. 

“Our Rapido captains in Bengaluru are more than just drivers; they are ambassadors of civic engagement, enabling greater voter turnout and promoting a more representative electoral system in the world's largest democracy," he said.