As Sri Lanka confronted one of its most devastating flood disasters in recent memory, local ride-hailing giant PickMe, Sri Lanka’s largest locally built mobility and delivery platform, activated its full digital and logistical network to support nationwide relief efforts. With hundreds dead, thousands displaced, and rescue operations still underway, the company has launched a three-pronged emergency initiative to mobilise citizen donations, coordinate deliveries, and assist rescue teams navigating submerged regions.
“Our objective is simple — to help get our fellow citizens back on their feet with immediate focus on the relief aids,” said Zulfer Jiffry, CEO of PickMe, in an interview. “We are invested in this country. Our drivers, our riders, and our users are all part of this emergency. We want to make sure people can return to their normal lives as quickly as possible.”
PickMe rolled out a special in-app feature, “AID” enabling citizens to request free doorstep pickups of relief packs. The new feature allows users to simply open the app, select the “Rides” service and the specially activated relief pickup vehicle option named “AID”, and schedule a collection request for your donations, including dry rations and other essentials, from their homes to be passed on to flood victims.
This is in addition to a central physical collection point established at PickMe Headquarters in High Level Road, Colombo 6, now functioning as a primary aggregation hub.
“Many people want to help but cannot leave home due to weather or transport issues. So we wanted to bring the collection mechanism to them,” the CEO explained.
Crowdsourced Monetary Donations Through PickMe Events
The company has also opened digital monetary donations through its Events platform, normally used for ticketing and payments. PickMe has partnered with vetted humanitarian groups to manage the funds. Currently, the company is channelling contributions through Round Table Sri Lanka, while other recognised organisations are also being onboarded.
“Every cent goes directly to these organisations. They are registered, credible groups with long experience in humanitarian work,” Zulfer added.
Although no public dashboard is yet active, PickMe says total collections will be published at the conclusion of the project to ensure transparency.
For physical donations collected from homes or at PickMe Headquarters, the company has partnered with Ada Derana’s humanitarian program, enabling immediate collection and dispatch to flood-affected zones across the country.
PickMe Drivers Already Engaged in Rescue Support
With one of the largest on-ground gig networks in the country, drivers registered with PickMe, many residing in affected districts, have begun participating in urgent transport and rescue operations from the beginning of the crisis.
“Road conditions are changing by the hour. Digital mapping is difficult because the situation is fluid, but we stay updated through our driver network on the ground, although routes from Kurunegala and parts of Kandy have slowly begun to clear, allowing more movement of essential supplies.” he said.
A Digital Shared-Economy Response
This is the first large-scale humanitarian response of its kind by a Sri Lankan digital platform, demonstrating the capacity of homegrown shared-economy infrastructure to support national emergencies.
“A disaster of this magnitude requires every digital capability the country has,” Zulfer noted.“The PickMe network touches every layer of society — riders, drivers, merchants, tourists.”
How Citizens Can Contribute
Members of the public are urged to support ongoing relief efforts by opening the PickMe app and selecting “AID” which enables free collection of relief packs directly from their homes. Those preferring to drop off items may deliver them to the official collection centre at PickMe HQ, High Level Road. Financial contributions can also be made through the PickMe Events platform, with proceeds channelled to Round Table Sri Lanka and other partner NGOs coordinating emergency response. Priority items include dry rations, bottled water, sanitary products, baby essentials, essential medicines, blankets, and clean clothing.
Source : Ada Derana Biz