LATEST UPDATES

We know many drivers count on the DiDi platform to earn and are feeling the impact of COVID-19. We’re actively exploring and introducing new ways for you to keep earning during this uncertain time. Keep an eye on our updates here.

• 2/9/20.

   

  DiDi offers and installs complimentary partition screens in cars in Sydney and Melbourne to help our community stay safe. Our pARTition screens are created by local suppliers and are 100% Australian-made. To bring positive vibes to your rides we commissioned local Aussie artists, Easty Beasty and Ben McNamara, to design the screens and help us stay apart together.

• 9/8/20.

   

  DiDi Saver, our most affordable ride yet launches in Sydney to help riders get access to discounted rides during off-peak hours.

• 2/8/20.

   

  DiDi rideshare and delivery will continue to be available in Metropolitan Melbourne, in line with the Victorian Government’s Stage 4 restrictions, to assist the community with access to permitted essential services and provide transport for permitted workers and caregivers. 

• 23/7/20.

   

  All Melbourne Driver-partners will now need to verify that they are wearing face coverings to go online and accept requests using DiDi’s Care AI technology and in-app Health-Guard program. Face coverings will also be required for all riders, and riders and drivers will be able to cancel without a cancellation fee if a driver/rider is not wearing a face covering.

• 10/6/20.

   

  DiDi Care launches to give Australians added peace of mind as they reconnect with their loved ones and cities.

• 15/5/20.

   

  DiDi extends flat 5% Services fee until 14 June 2020 to continue to support your earnings through Australia’s recovery transition.

• 1/5/20.

   

  DiDi Hero a dedicated service launches providing Ahpra registered Healthcare workers with safer and sanitised rides at 50% off in May.

• 17/4/20.

   

  DiDi announces extension of pledge to support driver-partners with flat 5% Services Fee until 18 May 2020. 

• 2/4/20.

   

  Updates to the

   cancellation policy 

  for driver-partners to help you stay safe. If passengers do not follow health guidelines, DiDi driver-partners may cancel the trip before it starts without the risk of suspension.

• 2/4/20.

   In response to the Australian Government’s latest advice on gatherings to be restricted to two persons maximum, DiDi advises that all riders travel alone, with a single member of their household, or with a single colleague if they are en-route to perform essential work. Riders should only ride in the back seat of vehicles, and follow all safety protocols as outlined by the Australian Government Department of Health. These guidelines apply in all cities where DiDi is active.

• 31/3/20.

   

  WA driver-partners, need to be mindful of the intrastate travel ban effective as of 31/3. Do not take riders intrastate. Offenders may be fined. Learn more

   

  here.

• 28/3/20

  .

   

  From 11:59pm 28/3/20, all travellers arriving in Australia via air or seaports must undergo 14 days of isolation in the city of their arrival.

• 27/3/20.

   

  DiDi offers 30k Care Packs (Masks) to drivers active during March.

• 2

  3/3/20.

   

  Temporary suspension of DiDi Share services.

• 2

  3/3/20.

   

  Drivers now earn 95% of every fare. All drivers receive a flat 5% Services fee across Australia. Excludes booking fees, tolls, levy and other third party charges. Valid until 20 April 2020.

• 20/3/20.

   

  DiDi asks riders to restrict trips to essential travel only and launches healthy rideshare hygiene habits and safety instructions in the DiDi-Rider app.

• 13/3/20.

   

  DiDi establishes $10MIL USD Relief Fund for drivers affected by COVID-19.

Driving During Stage Four Restrictions

Providing a safe and reliable platform to connect you to riders is our number one priority. To help the community remain connected, rides and delivery services will continue operating with COVID-Safe guidelines as the Victorian community faces tougher lockdown rules and curfews.Here are the main things you need to know about stage four restrictions as a Driver-partner in Melbourne: 

What else is DiDi doing to support drivers?

• USD $10MIL Relief Fund

  The DiDi Relief Fund is available to DiDi drivers in Australia who either test positive to COVID-19, undergo compulsory isolation or are temporarily suspended from the DiDi Driver app due to COVID-19. Only drivers who have completed at least one trip on or after 1 March 2020 may apply.

• DiDi Delivery Service in Melbourne & Geelong

  DiDi Delivery is a new service that provides affordable on-demand, city-wide delivery to businesses, customers and riders. This is an opportunity for drivers to help their community stay connected while supplementing your trips and earnings during a time when there are fewer rides. We are working on more ways to make ridesharing safer for all, and will share this with you soon!

Should I sanitise my car?

Yes. For yours and your rider’s safety, sanitise your car before or after each ride with disinfectant.

What are the COVID-Safe guidelines for riders?

In Melbourne and Geelong, masks must be worn and DiDi has limited its rider numbers to 2 persons in a DiDi Express and 4 persons in a DiDi Max.Riders should only ride in the back seat of vehicles and follow all safety protocols and social distancing guidelines as outlined by the Australian Government Department of Health. If riders do not follow these guidelines, DiDi driver-partners may cancel the trip before it starts without consequence.

How many riders can I transport?

• Express – Maximum of 2 riders

• Max – Maximum of 4 riders (The Victorian Government allows an exemption to the 2-person rule for those in caregiving positions – e.g. a parent with two or more young children)

Do I need to ask the rider if their ride is essential or permitted?

You are not required to ask the rider if they are an essential traveller. It is the rider’s responsibility to ensure they are leaving their home for a permitted reason.

Can I drive between 8pm to 5am?

You will be able to accept rider requests at any time of the day although the curfew may impact rider demand during those hours. Permitted workers or those seeking medical care are examples of riders who may request rides during curfew.

Can I drive further than 5km?

Yes. You may drive further than 5km from the pickup destination to provide the rider with access to permitted services, or providing transport for permitted workers and caregivers.

Is it safe for me to drive?

Don’t drive sick. If you feel unwell, please stay at home. Drivers affected by COVID-19 may be eligible for a payment from DiDi’s USD 10M Relief Fund. Learn more >You may also be eligible from the Victorian or Federation Government. Learn more >

Do I need to wear a mask?

In accordance with Victorian Government requirements, all driver-partners in Victoria are required to wear a mask. To verify this, you will need to pass a Health-Guard Program check in the DiDi app every time you go online – this involves wearing a mask or face covering and uploading a selfie.

Earnings Support

With many Australians practicing social distancing, you may experience fewer people travelling. In order to support your earning potential, DiDi is reducing the services-fees we charge to 5% for all driver-partners across Australia for a 4 week period starting Monday 23 March. This temporarily replaces the service fee programs that were available in each respective state. *This excludes booking fare, levy and other third party charges and will apply until 18 May 2020. Read more.

Driver Safety & Welfare

The safety and wellbeing of the driver community is very important to us. We appreciate that drivers are actively helping to provide essential travel for the community during this difficult time and are doing our best to support them.

What you can do

To minimise the potential spread of the virus you should: 

• Stay at home if you are unwell. 

• Keep your vehicle clean:

   Regularly clean and disinfect surfaces in your vehicle which you and your riders regularly touch, by wiping down with a disinfectant or wet wipe as part of good hygiene practice (

  How to clean and disinfect vehicles

  , Australian Government Department of Health).

• Keep safe:

  • Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly with soap and water, or hand sanitiser

  • Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands

  • You do not need to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks if you are healthy. But you may choose to do so if you feel more comfortable 

  • Please note that riders arriving from the airport are screened by health professionals before they are permitted to leave, so you do not need to take additional safety measures. However should you feel more comfortable not handling their luggage, you are not obligated to do so 

  • Keep a box of tissues in your car to use tissues and dispose of straight away and then wash your hands

• Be respectful and do not discriminate

  : whilst you may cancel or reject a ride due to a perceived health risk, we do not tolerate any discrimination of drivers or riders based on race, gender, ethnicity or country of origin, to name a few. Discrimination of any kind will lead to the suspension of your account and is considered illegal in Australia.  

How to clean

To limit the transmission if the virus good hygiene measures and routine cleaning of vehicles is recommended. We advise that you clean your car whenever you go offline for the day and at the end of a trip if you believe that the rider was unwell, sneezed or coughed while in the vehicle.

• What to clean

  • Door handles (internal and external)

  • Internal handles above doors

  • Seats

  • Seatbelts

  • Head rests

  • Grab handles

  • Window controls

  • Boot lid

  • Steering wheel

  • Dashboard

  • Control buttons

  • Gear stick

  • Cup holders

  • Centre console

• How to clean What to use: detergent/disinfectant solution/wipes. The Australian Government Department of Health has provided guidance on how to clean and disinfect your vehicle:

  • Environmental cleaning and disinfection principles for COVID-19

  • Free course on COVID-19 Hygiene for drivers

Feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Can I get additional support?

During this challenging time it is understandable that you may feel overwhelmed and stressed. It’s important that you take care of your mental health and wellbeing.You can contact the following organisations to get support:Lifeline Australia 13 11 14A crisis support service offering short term support at any time for people who are having difficulty coping or staying safe.www.lifeline.org.auBeyond Blue 1300 224 636Mental health information and support for all Victorians.www.beyondblue.org.auHeadspace 1800 650 893Online and telephone support and counselling for 12-25 year olds, their families and friends.

Am I eligible for the JobKeeper payment?

The Australian Government has introduced the JobKeeper payment, to assist businesses and sole traders during these difficult times. You can check if you’re eligible for this payment, of up to $1,500 per fortnight with the Australian Taxation Office.

Can I still pick up riders from the airport?

Yes, you can still pick up riders from the airport but please check with your local authorities to see if there have been changes to the pick up zones.

Should I wear personal protective equipment (PPE) e.g. masks?

The current advice from the Chief Medical Officer is that, if you are healthy you do not need to wear a mask.

What kind of preventative measures should I be practicing if I’m driving?

Based on the Australian Government Department of Health advice all drivers are to practice the following specific requirements before and during a rideshare trip to minimise the potential spread of the virus –Practicing good personal hygiene;

• Clean hands thoroughly and often using an alcohol-based hand rub or with soap and water;

• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, dispose of tissues, and use alcohol-based hand sanitiser;

• Stay at home if you are unwell.

• In the event of a rider spreading droplets (such as sneezing, coughing or vomiting), clean surfaces with disinfectant wipes so that the potential spread of infection can be minimised;

• Regularly clean and disinfect surfaces in your vehicle which you and your riders touch by wiping down with a disinfectant or wet wipes as part of good hygiene practice (Source CPV Victoria).

• When refuelling your vehicle where possible use a paper towel to limit contact with the petrol pump and always clean your hands thoroughly afterwards.

What does DiDi do if a driver/passenger is diagnosed with COVID-19, or if a case is suspected?

DiDi takes the privacy of its Driver-partners and riders seriously, but will disclose contact or trip information where required by law or necessary for the protection of public safety.  For example DiDi may share necessary Driver-partner or rider information with federal or state government authorities, or state health authorities. This information may include contact details, and trip origin and destination details, where required by authorities to establish contact with drivers and riders, or where required for contact tracing.

How is DiDi supporting drivers through COVID-19?

• DiDi has 

  reduced the services fee to 5%

   for all DiDi driver-partners across Australia.

• DiDi has created a 

  USD 10 million relief fund

   to support driver-partners who are affected by COVID-19.

• DiDi is offering complimentary care packs to select active driver-partners

How do I report COVID-19?

To ensure the safety of the DiDi Community it is strongly advised that you report to us immediately at help.driver@au.didiglobal.com if you are showing symptoms, have been asked to self-isolate or have been diagnosed with COVID-19, this allows us to communicate to those you have been in close contact with.

How can I help limit the spread of COVID-19?

To minimise any potential spread of the virus we are asking riders to practice safe and kind rideshare behaviour during trips based on advice from the Australian Department of Health. You can learn more here.