Delivery agents continue to brave Bengaluru's monsoon without safety nets

The Hindu

3 days ago

Raghunath, a delivery agent working with a popular quick commerce platform, manoeuvred his two-wheeler through the waterlogged streets of Vasanthnagar at 8 p.m. on a busy weekday this week, balancing speed and care as he tried to keep a bag containing two mangoes dry. 'It gets very difficult for us. When it rains like this, the roads get worse, and it takes more time to reach,' he explained.
Bengaluru's food and grocery delivery network has seen immense growth over the past decade, with companies promising delivery in under ten minutes. But amid this race for speed, the safety and working conditions of delivery agents, especially during the monsoon, are often overlooked.
Private vehicles and the risks
'Some years ago, the State government had said that private vehicles should not be used for delivery services,' said D. Raju, National President of the Delivery Boys Welfare Association (DWBA), Bengaluru. 'But many companies have ignored this. Most agents still use personal scooters or rent electric vehicles like Yulu, which are unsafe, especially on flooded roads,' he said. Raju added that electric bikes lack basic safety equipment like helmets and are not designed for heavy rain or night-time travel. 'The safety of night-shift workers is at constant risk,' he said.
Thousif Ahmed, another quick delivery agent, said that potholes and mud-slicked roads during the monsoon season make riding extremely difficult. 'My bike almost skidded off the road several times. Still, customers keep calling, asking why the delivery is late. Only a few understand what we go through,' he said.
Frequent illness
Beyond traffic and vehicle concerns, many agents also struggle with frequent illness during the rainy season due to long hours in wet clothes. Rising petrol prices cut deep into their already limited earnings, especially for those using their own vehicles. 'Sometimes we have to choose between filling petrol and buying food for ourselves,' said one agent. There's also a lack of access to rest stops or clean drinking water during long shifts, adding further strain to an already tough job, the delivery agent explained.
Despite being an essential part of Bengaluru's daily convenience, delivery agents said that their voices often go unheard, particularly when it comes to safety and fair working conditions. When contacted, major delivery platforms like Swiggy and Zomato did not respond to queries about safety measures or vehicle policies for their delivery partners.