Living through a pandemic @redBus
Last year and a half has been overwhelming for most of us but one thing that has kept us going ahead is the problems solved in the travel domain during these difficult times with the help of ‘technology’.
A newbie at redBus, I was anxious and excited about my journey at a new workplace back in March 2020. Within a matter of a week, the lockdown was announced and it made me a little more apprehensive. But, a big thank you to my entire team for making my work life easier in those dreaded days. A big shout out to our infrastructure team for working tirelessly to enable the smooth transition to work from home setup with VPNs, virtual meetings and work collaboration tools.
No Matter how bad things get, something good is out there, over the horizon.
All of us, at redBus, like employees of most other IT companies, have been working remotely for the longest time that one would remember. From knowing only a handful of members in my team to writing a blog on redBus, I find myself reflecting on my fulfilling journey here at redBus.
Remote work on the one hand reduced our commute time, gave more flexibility and kept us safe in our homes, but we all longed for that human touch.
redBus’ Initiatives for its customers during the trying times:
At redBus, throughout the pandemic, we kept doing our bit to make lives simpler for people.
Amongst a lot of activities at redBus these are my personal favourites because of the customer-centric behaviour:
1. Preregistration and notify me flow
During the time of lockdown, on the search page, users had an option of preregistering for the routes they wish to travel after the ease of COVID-19 restrictions. Emails were sent out to users when the routes they registered for were operational.
2. Passenger Guidelines
During the times of lockdown and unlock, different states formulated different travel guidelines and it was cumbersome for people looking to travel to go through different websites to look for regulations. A single landing page was developed with a consolidated view of the travel guidelines issued by all states in India.
3. Social Distancing
With gradual unlock, people looked for safe travel. With this intent, we introduced social distancing in the buses by blocking seats. The seats were blocked adhering to social distancing norms and people were allowed to book only the available seats.
4. Incentivising vaccination
People who got vaccinated can provide the vaccination status and get Rs 50 added to their redBus wallet. They can also view their vaccination certificate linked to their account.
We have to keep moving, dancing, creating and connecting,” Rabkin said. “It’s part of our core fabric as humans. It’s so important to keep creating during these times and find new ways to foster connection between people.
redBus’ and MMT groups’ Initiatives for its employees and their families during these trying times:
- redBus Cares
redBus Cares pool fund was created for its blue-collar staff and accepted funds from its employees and platform users.
2. Covid Taskforce
A covid task force of 15+ people was formed from HR, Admin and Business teams to help its employees with tele consultation with doctors, financial assistance, extended mediclaim facility. It also created a dedicated 8 bed oxygenated facility for its employees and their family, ran numerous webinars, arranged a regular supply of oxygen concentrators at its Gurgaon, Mumbai and Bangalore locations, organised vaccination drives at Gurgaon and Bangalore amongst many other activities.
In the toughest times the human spirit dictates that leaders will emerge, often from the most unexpected places.
