Delivery staff on app-based services face crisis due to lack of orders amid lockdown

The delivery staff of app-based service providers is facing a crisis due to fewer orders in the face of coronavirus lockdown imposed across the country.

According to the delivery staff, they are paid based on the number of orders they deliver or the services they provide.

"We are on duty for 12 hours but recently, there has been a slump in the number of orders. Earlier, we used to get more than twenty orders per shift, but now we are hardy making five or six in the same amount of time," Md Imran, who works for an app-based food delivery service, told on Friday.

He said that their income is completely based on the number of deliveries they make. Now, the delivery staff of these app-based services spends most of their time looking at their phones waiting for another order.

Another delivery boy, Md Ahsaan, said that he is the only bread earner in his family of eight members.

"This has caused a crisis. It is becoming more and more difficult to afford the expenses of my family. We have no other support from the company at this time either," Ahsaan said.

"There is a risk of coronavirus spread in delivering door to door. Although we are taking precautions and maintaining social distancing to minimize the risks. We are having to spend our own money on stizers, etc," Ahsaan said.

He said that they are also risking their lives to delivery essential commodities to the people and added that the government should also think about them.

( With inputs from ANI )