With some 200,000 partner-drivers countrywide, the multi-service one-stop platform Gojek Vietnam has oriented its corporate social responsibility (CSR) towards the internal community, benefiting not only its drivers but their families as well.
First setting its foothold in Vietnam under the name GoViet, the platform now offers services for motorbike ride-hailing (GoRide), food delivery (GoFood), and courier (GoSend), and has been able to connect nearly 200,000 driver-partners and 80,000 food merchants to millions of Vietnamese consumers. And, within just a short span of time, Gojek Vietnam has done a great deal to the internal community, prioritizing bike drivers who have faced difficulties as well as their relatives.
Direct support for bike-drivers
Gojek Vietnam has not implemented CSR activities for the general community, as the company is seeking to support the ever-increasing community within its own eco-system, says a company representative.
When fuel prices skyrocketted lately, many bike-drivers have decried the rising cost, estimated to have increased 10-15% against early this year. Gojek Vietnam, therefore, has reached out to drivers, offering them a certain amount of fuel depending on their rankings. Under the program launched in June, each driver was offered a fuel subsidy of between VND200,000 and VND800,000 a month depending on the bonus points they have accrued.
In addition, nearly 1,000 older bike drivers, aged 55 or older, were also donated gifts including coats, helmets, T-shirts and bags. Beneficiaries were drivers in Hanoi and HCMC who have worked for the platform since 2018 and have worked at least four hours a day.
“Gojek always considers drivers as an important link in the company’s eco-system, as they play a crucial role in passenger transport and deliveries of foods and drinks to consumers in areas where Gojek operates,” says the representative.
At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, Gojek set aside VND4.15 billion to support drivers, benefiting tens of thousands. Accordingly, the financial support equivalent to three to seven days of the cost of essential products was transferred to drivers who had worked with Gojek since before social distancing.
Specifically, all drivers meeting conditions were given VND200,000-350,000 each, while those aged 55 or older were given VND400,000 in Hanoi and VND350,000 in HCMC. Furthermore, Gojek also organized Covid vaccination drives for thousands of drivers, thus providing them with a shield against the highly-contagious disease and protecting the health of passengers.
Attending to drivers’ families
Gojek has also launched an inititive for some years now in line with the “Leaving no one behind” campaign, targeting relatives of drivers. Under this initiative, Gojek has organized training workshops on cooking skills and helping drivers’ relatives to start up business on the technical platform. This project has helped many of them improve living conditions and contributed to the overall socio-economic development.
Many relatives of driver-partners have joined cooking classes organized at Women’s Houses across cities and provinces. Gojek meanwhile helped them in sales and management of online businesses. By participating in this project, many have gained business success and have even opened offline eateries to scale up their businesses.
“In a sharing economy, the social corporate responsibility is integrated into our core business to create new values daily for the community,” said Phung Tuan Duc, CEO of Gojek Vietnam.
Free transport for medical forces during pandemic
While prioritizing the internal community, Gojeck has also extended its helping hand to society, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Last August, the company launched the GoCar service with 50 vehicles to offer free transport to frontline healthcare workers.
The 50 vehicles were specially arranged to serve five hospitals, and Covid intensive care units supported by Bạch Mai Hospital, Viet Duc Hospital and the Hue Central Hospital, the HCMC Department of Health, and the HCMC Center for Disease Control. These vehicles were equipped with air purifiers and sanitizers to ensure the utmost hygiene conditions for the passengers.
All drivers joining this activity were ordered to comply with stringent rules on hygiene and healthcare, including taking regular Covid-19 tests and wearing protective gear. These drivers also had to stay at designated hotels during the program to prevent the community transmission of the disease.
“Medical workers risked their lives during the pandemic to ensure the safety of the community. Gojek was grateful to them for their devotion, and wished to contribute its part to make their transport safe and convenient,” said the company’s representative.
