With food and grocery delivery services being among the handful of activities allowed during lockdowns, many cab and auto drivers are trying their hand at this new trade.
Sampath Adarsh, general secretary of Adarsh Auto Union, says that in the four hours that they are allowed to take out the vehicle, they are barely able to make Rs.150 - 200. “Most auto drivers prefer not to step out of the house as it is not really working out for them,” he says.
Mahesh B K, former Ola driver, says that cab drivers are left with no option other than going back to their hometowns or switching their jobs to being delivery executives. “This lockdown has hit us pretty hard. Most of us are the sole breadwinners of our families. Since we can’t just keep the vehicle idol at home, many drivers have started to work for companies like Zomato or Swiggy,” he says.
Spokesperson for Zomato, says that they have introduced a remote onboarding mechanism to facilitate those who are interested in working. “Those interested can download our app, share their identification documents, undergo the training process post verification and start delivering on the app itself,” he says.
Maruthi G R, Dunzo delivery executive, says the number of people involved in the service has gone up dramatically, thanks to the influx of drivers. “I take up to 20 orders a day out of which four to five orders are to Covid-affected homes,” he says.
Prasanna Kumar, delivery executive for Myntra and Flipkart, handles 50-60 orders in a day, including returns and exchanges. “I make enough to be able to support my family,” he says.
All app-based companies are now providing insurance for workers in case they test positive. “Employees and their dependents’ general medical care of up to five lakh are covered under an insurance program for hospitalization expenses and home treatment,” says Flipkart spokesperson.
100 percent of vaccination costs are covered for all the employees including up to five dependents each, and about Rs. 50,000 Covid insurance is provided for Kirana employees, says the spokesperson.
“I always take a shower as soon as I get home before coming in contact with my family members,” says Sathish Shetty M N, Zomato delivery executive.
“Double masking, wearing gloves, sanitising hands before and after delivering food are some of the safety precautions we follow. I am a sole earner supporting a family of three, and I have to stay safe at least for them,” he says.
The police have been co-operative, and allow the executives passage after inspecting the packages, executives say.