Give the food delivery rider a brake

A post sympathizing with the lot of food delivery riders went viral on social networking sites on Tuesday. The author arrived at the conclusion after interviewing dozens of riders.

It says companies set a very tight schedule for them, which is the reason why they have to break traffic rules to finish their job in time. The deadline for delivering food within 2 kilometers is 30 minutes. Within that time, a delivery rider has to ride to the restaurant, pick up the food and then deliver it to the customer.

Delay could mean deduction in pay, the reason delivery riders rev up speed, often breaking traffic rules and putting lives, including their own, at risk.

One food delivery rider said he once saw a colleague being run over by a truck after jumping the red light but he could not stop as he was himself late for an order.

On Wednesday, food delivery giant ele.me said they will add a button to their app, allowing customers to prolong the time limit for their order; in return they could get some small gifts. It also asked customers to show respect for the delivery persons.

However, the problem food delivery persons face isn't so much from customers. It is their employers who set them a tight schedule to grab a larger market share.

The companies also force delivery riders to take up more orders within a short time. Therefore, the onus is on the companies to lighten the burden on the delivery persons. By adding a "prolong time" button, the company is just passing the responsibility on to customers.

Market regulatory departments should prohibit companies from setting tight schedules for their delivery riders and keep them safe on the roads.