Latest news with #Foodpanda
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Keeta rider with no ID or work visa risks arrest to eke out living in Hong Kong
Azfar* struggles to make ends meet by working illegally as a rider for food delivery platform Keeta in Hong Kong, putting him at risk of arrest as he lacks an ID card and work visa. Advertisement For the past eight months, the 27-year-old Pakistani has used the Keeta rider account belonging to his cousin, a Hong Kong resident whom he pays HK$3,000 (US$382) a month under a 'rent' deal they struck. 'My cousin has been living in Hong Kong for a long time and he suggested that I use his food delivery [platform] account,' he said. 'After he scans his face to login for a shift, I take his phone to work.' Azfar is a non-refoulement claimant who holds a recognisance form, commonly known as a 'going-out pass', allowing him to temporarily stay in Hong Kong but not to work. After paying his cousin, he is left with about HK$17,000 a month, which he uses to cover the HK$6,000 rent for a tiny subdivided flat in Sham Shui Po and his daily expenses. Advertisement He is one of a significant number of illegal workers who operate as riders for food delivery platforms, which have become a pillar of the gig economy. Other than Keeta, Foodpanda is the other major local player after Deliveroo folded in April.
Independent Singapore
16-05-2025
- Independent Singapore
Foodpanda rider caught on camera hurling vulgarties at Mos Burger staff at Waterway Point outlet
SINGAPORE: A Foodpanda delivery rider has been caught on video shouting and behaving aggressively at staff in the Mos Burger outlet at Waterway Point shocking diners and prompting calls for action from the food delivery platform. The incident unfolded at around 7.56pm on March 29, according to an eyewitness who was dining at the fast food restaurant with a friend when tensions erupted at the counter. The eyewitness, Ray, shared footage he took on citizen journalism portal Stomp. In the video he shared, the deliveryman can be seen raising his voice and gesturing angrily at the counter staff. A woman behind the counter can be heard trying to defuse the situation, saying, 'What's your number? Why your attitude like that? Everyone needs to wait.' Despite her attempts to calm him down and explain that his order was being prepared, the rider accused the staff of intentionally withholding his order and asking him to leave. 'You called me c****** leh,' the woman added, referring to a vulgarity the rider allegedly used during the heated exchange. According to Ray, the deliveryman shouted for his order to be 'reassigned,' a request that typically has to be handled through the Foodpanda app rather than directly with the restaurant staff. 'Why make a big scene out of it?' Ray shared with Stomp, 'He was screaming at the counter and scolded 'c******' at the crew. Then he pushed the stack of empty trays onto the floor at the counter.' Ray also noted that the rider's phone screen, visible in the footage, clearly displayed the Foodpanda rider app, cconfirming that he was a delivery rider. Calling the behaviour unacceptable, Ray urged Foodpanda to take action: 'Foodpanda should really do something about the behaviour of this rude rider.'
The Star
01-05-2025
- Health
- The Star
‘Exhaustion and short breath': hidden toll of Hong Kong's food delivery grind
Sunny Waseem* is often spotted on his motorbike with a food delivery bag weaving through the Hong Kong traffic under the scorching sun. However, what goes unnoticed is the sweat, headaches, thirst and anxiety to fulfil an order on time. The 38-year-old delivery rider routinely works more than 12 hours daily, handling back-to-back orders during the busy lunch rush. 'Most of our working hours are during the very hot weather. So it really affects [me], I feel exhaustion and increase in sweat and short breath,' said the full-time rider, who has six years of experience. Waseem said that he had to take painkillers several times a week to relieve headaches caused by the heat. However, he felt he could not afford to take breaks in the shade because the food delivery platform would downgrade him with its algorithms, leading to a reduction in his income. A recent Greenpeace survey of 117 delivery workers from ethnic minority backgrounds revealed that over 80% reported experiencing heat-related illnesses during work. 'During extreme weather, outdoor workers bore the brunt because they had no choice but to continue doing laborious work ... a lot of riders would just bite the bullet,' said Tom Ng Hon-lam, the green group's campaigner. About 100 of the survey respondents reported a surge in orders during hot and rainy days, as well as typhoons, with more than 70% having worked under these extreme conditions. In 2023, the government introduced a new three-tier warning system aimed at reducing the risk of heatstroke among outdoor workers. Guidelines on heatstroke prevention were updated last year to make the system more practical for both employers and workers. The green group hoped the government would consider establishing separate guidelines specifically addressing the needs of delivery workers. According to the Census and Statistics Department's latest report, there are around 13,000 food platform delivery workers in the city. Riders or couriers are divided into different tiers. The top-tier earners are those who meet target delivery times and do not reject orders, according to Waseem. He explained that the 'batch one' workers had priority in choosing shifts with the most orders. 'If I take a break for 15 minutes because I am afraid that I will have a heatstroke, somehow I will be unable to work for Foodpanda for a whole week,' he said. 'They will just calculate how many minutes I was absent from the shift, which will result in change in my batch.' When Waseem was demoted from batch one to tier two or three, his daily earnings decreased from HK$1,200 (RM667 or US$154) to around HK$800 (RM444). Following Deliveroo's recent departure from Hong Kong, Waseem now works for Foodpanda and Keeta, which he described as 'notorious' for penalising riders who did not meet their standards. Waseem now dared not to take breaks and risk being downgraded. He said that he prepared a large water bottle and drank ion supply drinks to stay hydrated. Mak Tak-ching, a member of the Riders' Rights Concern Group, noted that while some outdoor cleaners and security guards were given equipment by the employers to stay cool during hot weather, riders had to fend for themselves. He also called for greater long-term protection of riders' rights through formal employee recognition. Greenpeace also urged the platforms to consider riders' needs, including providing heat protection clothing, portable fans, or setting up rest stations with free water dispensers across the city. Foodpanda said on Wednesday that it had never required couriers to deliver orders within a limited time frame. 'Couriers have the option to accept or pass on any of the dispatched orders, and we offer them the flexibility to take breaks during their shift – at any time and from any location,' the company said. As for its batch system, the platform explained that the division was 'determined by an aggregate of various performance components', which meant passing on orders or taking breaks 'may or may not affect a courier's overall batch number'. Keeta said it was committed to offering riders flexible schedules and had provided them with equipment such as raincoats and water jackets. 'The safety and well-being of our riders are our top priorities, and we encourage them to prioritise their well-being and take breaks as needed,' Keeta said. – South China Morning Post
Business Mayor
30-04-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Line Man Wongnai to invest B10bn in tech, buy 2 startups
Mr Yod said the company is planning to acquire 1-2 tech startups. Line Man Wongnai plans to invest 10 billion baht in technology over five years, mainly on artificial intelligence (AI), while it wants to acquire 1-2 tech startups. Yod Chinsupakul, chief executive of Line Man Wongnai, said at the AWS Summit 2025 on Tuesday that the company continues to invest in technology and that the amount should total 10 billion baht over five years, or 2 billion baht a year. The company wants to continue its innovation amid intense market competition, aiming to elevate the customer experience and achieve cost optimisation, he said. The investment will focus on generative AI (GenAI) to improve customer services and make personalised recommendations, said Mr Yod. Over the past five years, the company has invested 8 billion baht in technology, mainly for a cloud computing system and AI. Line Man Wongnai has more than 100 AI engineers and developers, with 500 technicians working to make the company more adaptive and able to launch new services, he said. 'We use AI to manage customer orders for our drivers and restaurants, and to optimise the cost of delivery,' said Mr Yod. With the Amazon Web Services cloud service, the company can support more than 1 million on-demand transactions daily. He said the online food delivery segment will become a duopoly with an eased price war within a year, shifting to competition over quality once Foodpanda exits the market next month. Line Man Wongnai is not interested in buying Foodpanda, said Mr Yod. He said if Yip In Tsoi, which operates the Robinhood app, acquires Foodpanda then this would not create a significant impact as both are small players. Last week Delivery Hero, the world's leading delivery platform, announced that Foodpanda, its Asia-based business, will stop operating its food and grocery delivery services in Thailand on May 23. A Yip In Tsoi source who requested anonymity said the company is interested in acquiring the Foodpanda app and is evaluating its business potential. According to Singapore-based research firm Momentum Works, Thailand's food delivery market in 2024 tallied US$4.2 billion, with Grab claiming a market share of 46%, Line Man Wongnai 40%, ShopeeFood 7%, Foodpanda 5%, and Robinhood 2%. Mr Yod said the price of online food delivery services has not spiked, despite fewer players. He said Line Man Wongnai plans to acquire 1-2 startups this year. Moreover, its merchant solutions expand the customer base beyond restaurants to tap retail, services and cosmetic segments, said Mr Yod. The company should break even this year and wants to launch an initial public offering in 2026, he said. Line Man Wongnai's online food delivery business generates 80% of its total revenue and has a 44% market share. Its LinePay service has high growth potential, while its ride-hailing business aims to become profitable within 12 months, said Mr Yod. He said the fintech market is valued at 2 trillion baht, or 10 times the food delivery market. The company aims to become a key player or the next unicorn in fintech within 5-7 years, Mr Yod said. The company plans to develop a 'buy now, pay later' service in the near future, he said.
Hype Malaysia
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hype Malaysia
(Video) Perlis Military Band's 'Party Rock Anthem' Shuffling Routine Had The Internet Rockin'
In life, it is important to break it down and show the crowd how it's really done, with dance moves. AirAsia has done it, this Foodpanda delivery rider has done it, and every day, someone is shuffling. The most recent viral story of a dance routine was at a military tattoo performance at the Tuanku Syed Putra Stadium in Kangar, Perlis, which went viral over the weekend. Malaysians could not get enough of the armed forces' smooth moves. The performance, believed to have been by the Central Band of the Royal Malay Regiment and the Platoon Serunai, was part of the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Raja of Perlis. At 98,000 shares, over 1,000 comments, and 12,000 shares, the TikTok video showed band members in full regalia in a pulsating formation, in a rare fusion of tradition and contemporary enjoyment, commemorating the Perlis Sultan's 25th anniversary on the state throne. The mesmerising display even included tossing batons up in the air, and one of the drummers joined the shuffling group from behind to the front with band leaders breaking it down like there's no tomorrow. Just as electrifying is the line-up of songs ranging from LMFAO's 'Party Rock Anthem' to traditional Malay, to Rosé and Bruno Mars' 'APT', to 'Hold My Hands' by the Beatles. The flashing lights and cheering crowd truly completed the spectacle, making it a performance to behold. Online, netizens also applauded the band in the comments. 'Owner of the shuffling soldier present!' 'Stadium lights present!' 'Grass present!'. Jokes aside, there is no lack of enthusiasm for the display; many netizens praise the contemporary spin on what seems to be such a formal ritual. Some speculated about the approval of the shuffling because it seemed so far out that the big suits would approve of such a contemporary move. What do you think about the viral performance? Watch the viral clip below: Sources: TikTok, NST Gan contributed to this article.
