On August 18, just one day after Ele.me and Taobao Instant announced the upgrade of "City Knights," the first official initiative was announced: 22 brands under Alibaba and Ant Group jointly launched the "City Knights Orange Initiative Plan." The plan will cover riders from all food delivery platforms, providing better incentives for outstanding riders while offering more comprehensive protection.
Yesterday, Fan Yu, Chairman and CEO of Ele.me, issued an internal letter officially announcing that all delivery workers would be upgraded to "City Knights." This signifies not only an upgrade of measures involving rider welfare protection, care incentives, and career development, but also pays tribute to the professional dedication of every rider.
A total of 22 brands will invest resources to support City Knights and back the Orange Initiative Plan, including: 1688, AliExpress, Alibaba International Station, Alibaba Group, Alibaba Health, Alibaba Cloud, Orange Lion Sports, DingTalk, Damai, Ele.me, Fliggy, Amap, Freshippo, Hujing, Ant Group, Quark, Taobao, Taobao Instant, Tmall, Tongyi Qianwen, Xianyu, and Alipay (listed alphabetically).
The Orange Initiative Plan will increase rewards for charitable acts by the rider community and will provide stronger support for rider families facing difficulties in the future, including special rewards for acts of bravery, special funding for riders' educational advancement, and special assistance for medical care for riders and their families. The Orange Initiative Plan will be operated by a professional team, with beneficiaries covering all platforms, cities, and delivery formats, focusing on supporting the overall development of the respectable profession of City Knights.
Prior to the Orange Initiative Plan, Ele.me had already invested over 20 million yuan to bring hope to the families of more than 600 riders with serious illnesses and provided educational assistance and study services to over 400 riders and their children. Ele.me also established the industry's first rider public welfare incentive system called "Community Heroes," encouraging over 430,000 charitable acts annually.