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Uber partners with UNESCO to provide teachers with free rides to vaccination centers

Written by Zahra Farid ·  1 min read >

Islamabad – June 23, 2021: Uber, the global ride-hailing platform that seamlessly connects riders with drivers, in an attempt to extend its commitment towards education development, has collaborated with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to provide free rides to teachers to and from their respective vaccination centers in Pakistan.

Uber is offering 4 free rides for teachers and educational professionals, identified by the Government of Pakistan, travelling to and from one of the dedicated vaccination centers available on the NCOC (National Command and Operation Center) website. Each ride will have a maximum cap of PKR 300 and this offer will be valid till September 3rd, 2021. Riders will receive a voucher code via their relevant Department of Education, and will be able to redeem the discount on the app by claiming the voucher. 

This initiative is a part of Uber’s global commitment to provide one million free rides to help fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Uber is a member of the Global Education Coalition and has previously worked with UNESCO to help students in various countries. With this collaboration, Uber and UNESCO aim to extend their partnership towards the betterment of the education sector in Pakistan that has been the hardest hit by the effects of Covid-19, and to remove transportation as a barrier to teachers’ access to vaccinations. 

“Teachers are one of the most integral parts of this society and we at Uber would like to facilitate them with safely getting back to their classrooms. We are proud to partner with UNESCO to mobilize the teachers in Pakistan and encourage them to get vaccinated,” said Shahid Khan, the new Country Head at Uber Pakistan. 

Talking about the partnership, Mr. Zafar Hayat Malik, Head of Education at UNESCO Pakistan commented, “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Uber to provide rides to teachers to access vaccinations as these become available; this will make a meaningful difference for many educators and school communities in Pakistan and help children get back to learning in classrooms as soon as possible.”

Uber and UNESCO’s partnership is a part of Uber’s global #MoveWhatMatters campaign under which Uber has partnered with various organizations over the past year around the world, to provide free and discounted rides to frontline workers, healthcare officials, and introduce delivery mechanisms for medicines and groceries as well.