Latest news with #Deliveroo
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Yahoo
Arrests as immigration raids target workers
More than 20 people have been arrested after immigration raids across the West Midlands. Delivery drivers suspected of working illegally were targeted by officers in Birmingham, Coventry and Hereford, the Home Office said. Images showed enforcement agents apprehending two men at New Street railway station on Wednesday, as people were stopped for allegedly using modified e-bikes. It comes amid a crackdown on undocumented workers operating in the so-called gig economy, as well as places like car washes, construction sites and nail bars. The two-day operation saw 21 foreign nationals taken into custody for a range of immigration offences, the government added. They included people from Eritrea, Guinea, Italy, India, Pakistan, Vietnam and Bangladesh. All of them now face being deported from the UK. Matthew Foster, who leads on immigration in the West Midlands, said illegal working was undercutting legitimate businesses and allowing vulnerable people to be exploited. "Those who choose to break the law by working illegally or employing illegal workers should expect to be caught and face the consequences," he said. The enforcement activity comes after ministers promised to get tough on illegal migration to "protect UK borders". Plans have included a focus on food delivery companies such as Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat to prevent illegal working. In June, the companies agreed to strengthen security checks following reports some asylum seekers were working illegally as couriers. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. More on this story Food delivery apps to tighten checks to stop illegal workers Illegal worker arrests in Midlands up by third Arrests during factory immigration raids Related internet links Home Office
CNA
21 hours ago
- Business
- CNA
Are we paying too much for convenience these days?
How much does a bottle of water cost? At the supermarket, it's around S$0.60. At the provision shop downstairs, it's probably at least a dollar. But at a vending machine or the airport? The same bottle can cost you four to five times more, easily. Why do we willingly pay more in one context but not the other? This isn't a conversation about product quality. After all, we're not talking about artisanal spring water infused with ionised minerals. It is just that when we are feeling hot, thirsty or in a rush, we quickly become willing to trade more money for immediate relief. This is the convenience premium: We pay a higher price not for a better product, but simply a faster, easier way to get the same thing. And the dangerous part is, we're doing it more often than ever. THE CONVENIENCE PREMIUM Not too long ago, grabbing a meal meant either cooking it at home or taking a short walk over to the nearest hawker centre. Today, we get our food delivered with a few quick taps on our phone, paying at least 20 to 30 per cent more just to save the effort of cooking, walking or queuing. In a 2022 survey by food delivery company Deliveroo, more than 60 per cent of Singaporeans said that they used food delivery services more regularly, compared to the time before COVID-19. Singaporeans were also spending more on such services: S$108 a month, a 62 per cent increase from S$67.54 in 2019. Convenience has become increasingly monetised in Singapore. It is now packaged and priced into nearly every aspect of our daily lives, with merchants and service providers bundling their offerings in strategic ways to charge us more. We see it in ride-hailing applications with premium surcharges during peak hours and same-day courier services. Pay more for "express delivery" or wait longer, perhaps hours. No one likes to make that frustrating decision. The rise of a convenience culture means that we are often paying not for a better product or service, but simply for faster, easier access to the same thing. This has quietly shifted our spending habits. We're no longer evaluating the prices of products and services based on their quality or value – we're simply measuring how quickly or effortlessly we can get what we want. As more services capitalise on this mindset, the cost of living inevitably creeps up not just through inflation, but through the silent premium of convenience. THE REAL COST OF CONVENIENCE First of all, do we really know how much we are spending on convenience? On its own, a S$3 food delivery fee here and a S$10 ride-hailing surcharge there might seem insignificant. But these add up, perhaps quicker than we think. Check your favourite food delivery or ride-hailing apps and tally up your total over the last three months – does the figure surprise or shock you? Or do you feel it is still a worthy expense? Look closer at each individual charge. Ask yourself: Did I really need or want this one delivery or that one ride? Or did I pay for them out of impulse or habit? This is the paradox of paying for modern convenience. It feels efficient in the moment but over time, it quietly erodes our financial discipline and diligence. When everything is available on demand, our self-sufficiency also suffers. Young adults of today are rapidly losing basic skills like preparing our meals or fixing a leaky tap at home. Why bother learning to do either when we can simply pay someone else to do it for us? THE PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAP OF JUSTIFICATION Singaporeans are a notoriously busy, overworked group. After a long day, it may feel like a direct ride home or having a meal delivered is worth the S$20 we are paying. In the moment, the cost appears minor in comparison to the immediate relief it provides. We think: "I deserve this." Behavioural economists call this "justification bias" – the emotional reasoning we soothe ourselves with on trade-offs that do not make much logical sense. There is nothing wrong with this. The problem is when we start relying on it too frequently. What starts as a one-time indulgence can quietly turn into an ongoing expense. Before we know it, spending on convenience has become the default mode of living, and it is difficult for us to go back to more inconvenient times. Now, convenience in itself is not an evil. Paying a little more to save time can be a smart trade – if you are using that time wisely. For instance, I'm willing to fork out for a private ride so I can take a quick nap to recharge or make urgent calls in a quiet space. But if I spend that ride so that I may watch a drama or mindlessly scroll through social media instead, I'm not really buying myself time. I'm buying comfort and that's a very different equation. DON'T LET CONVENIENCE CONTROL YOU The busier we are, the easier it becomes to justify spending on convenience. Although convenience has become the currency of modern life, it shouldn't cost us control over our finances. As with all spending, convenience is worth paying for when the occasional need arises, but certainly not on a daily basis and not at the cost of long-term financial freedom. So if you find that you are spending a cool four to five digits each year on convenience, it might be time to think about whether cutting down makes more sense. The next time you are tempted to pay a little more for ease, pause and ask: Is this purchase making my life better in the long run or just easier in the moment? Are we outsourcing tasks to free up time for meaningful work, rest or relationships? Or are we making a habit out of draining emptying our wallets just to avoid minor hassles and discomfort instead of taking a few minutes to plan ahead? The price of convenience can be one worth paying – as long as we are aware of what we are truly getting in return.
BBC News
21 hours ago
- BBC News
Nine arrested as West Midlands raids target illegal workers
More than 20 people have been arrested after immigration raids across the West Midlands. Delivery drivers suspected of working illegally were targeted by officers in Birmingham, Coventry and Hereford, the Home Office said. Images showed enforcement agents apprehending two men at New Street railway station on Wednesday, as people were stopped for allegedly using modified e-bikes. It comes amid a crackdown on undocumented workers operating in the so-called gig economy, as well as places like car washes, construction sites and nail bars. The two-day operation saw 21 foreign nationals taken into custody for a range of immigration offences, the government added. They included people from Eritrea, Guinea, Italy, India, Pakistan, Vietnam and Bangladesh. All of them now face being deported from the UK. Matthew Foster, who leads on immigration in the West Midlands, said illegal working was undercutting legitimate businesses and allowing vulnerable people to be exploited. "Those who choose to break the law by working illegally or employing illegal workers should expect to be caught and face the consequences," he said. The enforcement activity comes after ministers promised to get tough on illegal migration to "protect UK borders". Plans have included a focus on food delivery companies such as Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat to prevent illegal working. In June, the companies agreed to strengthen security checks following reports some asylum seekers were working illegally as couriers. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Lifestyle
- Irish Examiner
Saturday with Maeve Madden: 'We don't do Deliveroo or takeaways – I don't like fast food'
8.30am I get up at around 8.30am or 9am on an average Saturday. I like to go out on a Friday – often it's a date night with my husband Andrew or we'll have dinner together and a drink at home. Once I'm awake I have to get up. It's not very healthy, I know, but the first thing I do is go on my phone. I'll take some electrolytes and a litre of water. I drink most of my water in the morning. I will then have a pre-breakfast snack. I used to do a lot of fasted workouts but these days I'll have a small snack such as some brazil nuts, a boiled egg and some raspberries. 09.00 I'll go for a walk even if it's just 15 minutes around the block. I go for a walk every day without fail because otherwise, as a self-employed person, I'd be sitting at my desk all day every day. We travel a lot but I'm currently living in Dublin. I love to walk in Herbert Park and to buy my veg in the market there on a Sunday. We might walk down to Sandymount Strand and on the way back we'll pick up almond croissants. 10.30 I'll make an omelette with feta cheese, spinach and tomato and we'll have a bowl of berries and our pastries. We'll sit at the breakfast table for an hour or so, have a couple of coffees and chat about life. 12.00 Often on a Saturday we'll drive up north to see my mum and family in Newry. We always go for a walk – we'll go to Slieve Gullion or the Mournes or along the greenway in Newry. Mum will get her hair done, we'll do some grocery shopping and then we'll all go for dinner at 6pm in the golf club. After dinner, we'll walk the dog and then we'll watch GoggleBox on the TV – it's a very wholesome family routine. If we're staying in Dublin, we'll usually do some chores before heading into town. Maeve Madden: "Dinner is our time to catch up and spend time together. Saturday is our chill out day – I try to make sure it's the one day of the week that I don't work." 14.00 We will go for a browse around the shops. More often than not we'll pop into the Westbury Hotel – perhaps for a little glass of champagne, especially if my mum is in town. There's always a great buzz in the Westbury and it's great for people watching too. An ideal Saturday would be spent in London where I have a lot of great friends. We'll get dressed up, go out for a glam dinner, for drinks and maybe even a little dance. I love being in Ireland though – it's definitely a less frantic way of life than living in London. 19.00 I might pop into Lotts & Co. to pick up some ingredients for dinner. We don't really do Deliveroo or takeaways – I just don't like fast food and I'm funny about takeaways so we tend to cook for ourselves. 20.00 Dinner is our time to catch up and spend time together. Saturday is our chill out day – I try to make sure it's the one day of the week that I don't work. I try to avoid doing social media on a Saturday too otherwise I'd be on my phone all the time. I've been doing social media for so long now that I don't think anyone cares if I miss a day of posting. I've learnt that it's important to be present with the people around you. Saturday is a day for being offline and spending time with family and friends. 21.00 I'll chill out on the couch and will send voice notes to people in my various friend groups from the different places I've lived around the world. I love to watch crime documentaries but recently I've gotten into Yellowstone, 1883 and 1923 and then ended up watching everything Taylor Sheridan has ever written. I also love the Real Housewives series but I tend to watch those by myself rather than with my husband. If it's late and I don't want to concentrate too much I will throw something on like Schitt's Creek which I know so well I can almost fall asleep to it. 23.00 I take magnesium and melatonin every night which help me to sleep. On a Saturday I'll probably be in bed by about midnight. It's funny – I used to start getting ready to go out with my friends at about 11pm when I lived in London but now I start thinking about going to bed at that time. I sleep with a silk bonnet on – I was doing that long before the 'shredding' trend caught on. I hate having my hair around me when I'm sleeping and it helps with my hair health. I sleep with a Drowsy sleep mask on, use ear plugs and have blackout curtains. Maeve Madden is the founder of Queens Don't Quit - empowering women through wellness, movement and community. She is also a brand ambassador for ORS Hydration, promoting fast, effective hydration to support a healthy, active lifestyle. See and @maeve_madden on Instagram.
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Migrant ‘who worked illegally as Deliveroo driver' FAILS to turn up for court with warrant for his arrest issued
A MIGRANT was charged with working as a Deliveroo driver for the first time since a Sun probe exposed the black market — but failed to deliver himself to court. Matheus De Lima Souza, 21, no showed a hearing at Staines magistrates' court yesterday morning over claims he acted as an e-bike delivery rider twice in February. 1 Prosecutors say that at the time he was prohibited from working 'by reason of immigration status'. Court records show the alleged offences took place in Surrey on February 17 and February 28. He is charged with working 'as a fast food delivery rider for Deliveroo when disqualified by reason of immigration status'. If convicted, he could face six months in prison. Deliveroo could also be hit with fines by the Home Office. It is only the second time someone has been charged with in the last six months. The 10am hearing did not go ahead yesterday at the Surrey court and District Judge Warner issued a warrant for his arrest. It is unclear if Mr De Lima Souza is in the country illegally or if he is accused of breaking the terms of a visa. His address was given as a farm in Egham, Surrey, just three miles from the court where he declined to appear.
