(Yicai) June 27 -- Several takeout firms and express delivery couriers have been taking measures to ensure the safety of employees while guaranteeing the supply of relevant materials to the Chinese regions recently hit by heavy rains and floods.

Meituan Waimai has activated its emergency mechanism for heavy rain weather, increased riders’ order fees, relaxed delivery time limits, exempted riders from liabilities in case of delayed delivery and bad reviews because of the weather, and made merchants in isolated areas unavailable, Cheng Jiaran, the person in charge of the leading takeaway platform’s Yuehu Park outlet in Changsha, told Yicai.

Since June 24, Chinese regions such as Changsha in Hunan province and Huangshan in Anhui province have been severely hit by rainfall. According to the weather forecast, heavy rain is expected to continue also today in some areas of Anhui, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Chongqing, Sichuan, and Guizhou.

Takeaway platform Ele.me told Yicai that it also introduced measures to protect riders and adjusted its operations to the requirements and situations of each region.

Chinese courier STO Express coordinated resources to support the operations of affected outlets and accelerate the resumption of parcel delivery services, while adjusting the incentive assessment policy for bad weather to reduce the pressure on flooded warehouses.

The Chaoshan Management Center of delivery giant ZTO Express implemented an emergency plan that set up a flood control work group, assisted the affected outlets in site protection and logistics support, and transferred parcels, vehicles, and equipment. It also applied for the ZTO Network Mutual Aid Fund to raise money for the affected outlets and individuals.

Cainiao Smart Logistics Network told Yicai that on June 24 and June 25, the courier unit of Alibaba Group Holding helped the Red Cross Society of China and the Chinese Red Cross Foundation to deliver multiple batches of quilts and relief family boxes with daily necessities, such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, and towels, to Yiyang, Changde, Huaihua, and Guilin for free.

Editor: Futura Costaglione